Most water transport in Europe is fuelled by dirty, noisy diesel engines - old technology which contributes to greenhouse gas pollution and impacts climate change.

The shipping industry is looking at ways to cut emissions and move to alternative fuels - not just in Europe, but globally. Current Direct is a new, three-year research and innovation project funded by the European Commission which plans to completely change the way goods and people are moved by water; using green battery power.

Current Direct aims to:

• significantly reduce the total costs of waterborne transport batteries
• cut greenhouse gas emissions of the marine transport sector through the electrification of vessel fleets
• increase the energy density of waterborne battery cells
• trigger investment for innovation

The project is addressing these issues by proposing an innovative lithium-ion cell that is optimised for waterborne transport, using novel manufacturing techniques which allow for a consistent cost reduction compared to current market prices. The project will develop a maritime optimised 'swappable container waterborne transport battery'.

For more information on this new project please click here.