The trend to replace internal combustion engines with electric zero-emission drives, visible in the automotive industry, also exists in the shipbuilding industry. In contrary to land vehicles, the requirements for the electric propulsion system of tugs are much greater, which combined with the limited space and energy on board, makes any amount of energy valuable. Strategic changes in the policy of many countries, such as the “Fit for 55” package, introduce plans to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, which favors the development of alternative drives and their introduction to new areas of operation. This article presents that it is possible to reduce the amount of energy an electric tug spends for movement by applying the Particle Swarm Optimization method to modify the shape of its hull. A statistical analysis of public data was performed to determine the speed profiles of actual port tugs. The Van Oortmerssen method was used to determine the hull resistances of the proposed tug and the impact of the hull shape modification sets on reducing these resistances. Based on the six obtained speed profiles, it was determined that one of the tested variants of modifications made it possible to reduce energy consumption on average by 2.12%, to even 3.87% for one of the profiles, and that some modifications increase energy consumption by even 6.59%.

The article presents the synthesis of a multi-layer group control system for a marine autonomous surface vessel with the use of modern control theory methods. First, an evolutionary programming algorithm for determining the optimal route path was presented. Then the algorithms—dynamic programming with neural state constraints, ant colony, and neuro-phase safe control algorithms—were presented. LMI and predictive line-of-sight methods were used for optimal control. The direct control layer is implemented in multi-operations on the principle of switching. The results of the computer simulation of the algorithms were used to assess the quality control.

The article presents issues related to the possibility of using electric and hybrid systems to drive Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vessels. Ships of this type have significantly less sway and heave compared to monohull crafts and catamarans. Thanks to the synergistic combination of the hydrodynamic properties of SWATH hull and electric drive systems, they can be an interesting proposition for use in transport of passengers and offshore wind farms service crews. The paper presents comparative test results of an electric drive system powered by Hybrid Energy Storage System, which are a combination of systems consisting of batteries (BAT), hydrogen fuel cells (FC) and diesel generators (D). For the presented configurations of propulsion systems, mathematical models taking into account the hydrodynamic resistance of the hull of the vessel have been developed and implemented in the Modelica simulation environment. The tests carried out for various configurations of the drive system have shown reduced energy consumption by the DIESEL-ELECTRIC drive system (by approx. 62%), as well as the reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere (by approx. 62%) compared to the conventional DIESEL drive.

The topic of reducing exhaust gas emissions from internal combustion engines in the areas of port and coastal waters is in line with the assumptions of the climate policy. The publication presents a proposal to reduce the energy associated with the movement of port vessels through the use of a specific pattern (shape and size) of their movement. In addition to controlling the formation of tugboats, the authors propose the use of a multi-agent system offering elements of autonomous control of the vessels, which adjusts the parameters of the formation depending on the tasks performed. The results of tests for four tugboats with a hull length of 32 m and a maximum speed of 13 knots, moving in formations of eight different configurations, were analyzed. Studies conducted on the basis of a simulated exit and return to port scenario at a distance of 11.4 nm showed the possibility of reducing energy consumption required for movement by 5.8% to even 57.6% for tugboats moving one after another, at a certain distance. In addition, in order to completely eliminate exhaust gas emissions from the engines, it is proposed to use tugboats with electric drive together with an appropriate energy storage charging infrastructure.

International trade is continuously rising, leading to an increase in the flow of goods passing through transportation hubs, including air and sea. In addition, the aging fleet of inland vessels necessitates renewal through the construction of new vessels, presenting opportunities for the adoption of modern transport technologies. Autonomous barges can transport bulk and containerized cargo between the central port of a specific region and smaller satellite ports, enabling the dispersal of goods over a wider area. Equipping autonomous barges with advanced sensors, such as LIDAR, computer vision systems that operate in visible light and thermal infrared, and incorporating advanced path finding and cooperation algorithms may enable them to operate autonomously, subject only to remote supervision. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of autonomous electric propulsion barges in inland waterway transport. Given the increasing demand for efficient and sustainable transport solutions as a result of various new policies, which have set new ambitious goals in clean transportation, this study aims to develop a proposition of an electric propulsion hybrid drive inland waterway barge, and compare it to a conventional diesel-powered barge. The methodology involves the creation of a simulation model of an inland waterway class IV electric barge, equipped with advanced sensors and autonomous control systems. The barge’s navigation is managed through a multi-agent system, with evolutionary algorithms determining a safe passage route. This research also utilizes a proprietary networked ship traffic simulator, based on real inland vessel recorded routes, to conduct the autonomous navigation study. The energy consumption of the barge on a route resulting from the ship traffic simulation is then examined using the mathematical model using the OpenModelica package. As a result of the study, the proposed hybrid propulsion system achieved a 16% reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, while cutting engine operation time by more than 71%. The findings could provide valuable insights into the feasibility and efficiency of autonomous electric propulsion barges, potentially helping future developments in inland waterway transport.

This paper presents an innovative route planning method for autonomous port tugs, using an evolutionary algorithm with radar fitness assessment. The proposed solution takes into account the specifics of tug operation in a complex port environment, characterized by the presence of numerous static obstacles (port infrastructure, islands) and dynamic obstacles (other vessels). The presented radar fitness assessment method allows for taking into account many optimization criteria, such as route length, number of turn points or safety margin with respect to obstacles. The algorithm was tested in four different navigation scenarios of varying complexity. The results of the research showed that, compared to the classic genetic algorithm, the radar method generates routes with fewer turn points (reduction by 1–2 points) and significantly reduces the total course change (up to 53.6%). Additionally, the routes generated by the radar algorithm consistently maintained a greater safety margin with respect to obstacles. The algorithm is prepared to take advantage of data interchange according to International Maritime Organization’s e-navigation proposal via its VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) messages, which could improve the safety of proposed routes and their efficiency. This gives a basis to use the proposed solution as an autonomous vessels and/or formation control algorithm in future automated transport systems.