Valenciaport to support ship electrification project

The Harpooners initiative, led by the Tecnalia Research & Innovation Foundation, aims to develop high voltage, low weight, efficient electric powertrains for sustainable waterborne transport.

With a budget of approximately €7.5 million, cofinanced by Horizon Europe through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, the project’s main goal is to accelerate decarbonisation in the maritime sector.

Harpooners will focus on creating a compact, modular system that connects high-voltage grids onboard ships. This eliminates the need for bulky transformers and cooling systems, leading to lighter, more reliable and safer energy storage.

The resulting system will make it easier to electrify small and medium-sized vessels, cutting CO2 emissions, reducing environmental impact, and lowering manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Fundación Valenciaport will be contributing to developing system requirements and specifications through a study in the Port of Valencia. The port authority will also play an integral role in integrating and validating the Harpooners solution across various vessel types.

The project brings together 13 European entities, including Vrije Universiteit Brussel, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Corvus Energy Norway, and others.