PROMINENT - Promoting Innovation in the Inland Waterways Transport Sector

In the course of the project promising ”greening” technologies in inland navigation are being developed further. The research results feed into a roll-out plan (including policy recommendations) which will pave the way for the application of innovative solutions on a large scale (until 2020). The roll-out plan will be available by the end of April 2018.

Specifically, efforts are being made to standardise and modularise the most promising environmentally friendly technologies and concepts that shall lead to a more competitive inland navigation fleet in Europe (and on the Danube). Additionally, measures are being developed to overcome barriers for innovation and sustainability in inland navigation.

Milestones/Activities

• analysis of the European inland navigation fleet and identification of the best available “greening” technologies that can be used in the majority of said fleet
• analysis of conditions and measures for the implementation of technologies on large scale
• development of standardised technological solutions and preparation of pilot activities
• development of methods for certification and monitoring of the effects of the considered technological solutions regarding emissions and operational data
• development of simulators and digital training tools, including the elaboration of possibilities to involve them in professional training courses and logistics education
• pilot operation of standardised systems for LNG propulsion, exhaust gas aftertreatment, fuel-efficient vessel operation, digital learning, certification and monitoring of emissions of vessel operation
• evaluation of all project pilots and derivation of a roll-out plan including policy recommendations as well as follow-up activities for the practical and large-scale application of the results