The Clean energy for EU islands (CE4EUI) workshop brought together pioneering projects from across Europe's island regions to showcase their contributions to decarbonising maritime transport. From Denmark to the Aegean, the Canary Islands to Italy, islands are proving to be ideal testing grounds for clean ferry systems, smart ports, and alternative fuels.
Smart Ports: Roadmap to Electrification
Professor J. Prousalidis from NTUA laid out a robust port electrification roadmap. It includes cold ironing, battery charging, smart energy management, and regulatory adaptation. A key message: islands and core ports alike must adopt resilience, load forecasting, and flexible energy systems to meet growing decarbonisation demands in line with the EU's Fit for 55 strategy.
Samsø, Denmark – A Ferry Powered Future
Michael Kristensen of the Samsø Energy Academy shared how the island, long recognised as a renewable energy champion, is now leading the marine transition. Having launched a smart marina and with two electric ferries in development, Samsø aims to be fossil fuel-free by 2030. The project has generated economic, educational, and tourism benefits—all while strengthening energy resilience without cost to taxpayers.
Igoumenitsa & Greek Ports – Cold Ironing and Grid Readiness
Greece is advancing rapidly with Shore Side Electricity (SSE) systems. Dr Stefanos Dallas of PROTASIS highlighted the ALFION-INFRA and DECOMPRES projects, which are equipping major ports, such as Rafina, Corfu, and Thessaloniki, with high-capacity SSE for Ro-Pax and cruise vessels. These systems enable ships to shut off their engines while docked, significantly reducing local pollution. Energy studies also examine grid readiness and the integration of solar and battery storage.
Canary Islands – Testing the Future with Green Hydrogen
The Institute of Technology of the Canary Islands (ITC), represented by Santiago Diaz, is transforming the archipelago into a living lab for green fuels. Through the BIOGREENFINERY and RESH2PORT initiatives, ITC is developing standalone systems that combine wind, solar, biodiesel and battery storage to produce green hydrogen and ammonia for land and sea use. Floating PV and wave energy test sites in Las Palmas and Arinaga further reinforce the Canary Islands' role in marine R&D.
Alternative Propulsion – Scaling the Clean Energy Fleet
Roberta Montesano of RINA provided an overview of emerging propulsion technologies, from electric and hybrid systems to hydrogen and ammonia fuel cells. While only 1.2% of today's fleet runs on alternative fuels, more than 20% of vessels on order are designed to be future-ready. Scaling up shore power and bunkering infrastructure, alongside modular vessel upgrades, is crucial for aligning with FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS regulations starting from 2025.
Antiparos, Greece – Island-Wide Electrification
The TESLA project on Antiparos targets total transport electrification. Petros Markopoulos from DAFNI outlined how an electric ferry and municipal vehicle fleet, powered by a 550 kWp solar PV plant, is central to a fully sustainable mobility system. Despite high upfront costs, analyses show that the project is long-term environmentally and financially viable, thanks to reduced emissions, grid independence, and fuel savings.
LightCraftOSK – Rethinking Ferry Design from the Hull Up
Complementing Samsø's ambition is LightCraftOSK presented by Kristian Lind, a lightweight ferry design from Danish firm OSK Design. The concept demonstrates how drastically reducing vessel weight can deliver up to 50% energy savings, making full electrification more viable, even on longer routes. By adapting SOLAS and HSC codes through a phased Tier I pilot and Tier II EU directive alignment, LightCraft ferries offer scalable solutions for future zero-emission passenger transport across Europe.
Giglio & Giannutri, Italy – Hydrogen on the Horizon
Stefano Barberis from BluEnergy Revolution presented a case study from the Tuscan archipelago, where hydrogen and hybrid ferries are being considered for the Porto Santo Stefano–Giglio route. With vessels operating under 1MW and travelling short, regular distances, the route is ideal for hydrogen retrofitting or hybrid replacements. However, integration challenges remain, particularly around onboard H₂ storage, regulatory constraints, and the need for dedicated refuelling infrastructure. A proposed pilot using modular, containerised fuel cell systems could pave the way for broader deployment.
Europe's Islands: Navigating the Green Transition
From ferry design to fuel supply, regulation to retrofitting, European islands are not only adapting—they are leading. These initiatives illustrate how islands serve as scalable models for clean, connected, and resilient maritime transport. Their work is instrumental in realising the EU's broader climate neutrality goal by 2050.
Islands are no longer on the periphery—they are at the heart of Europe's sustainable maritime future.