Decarbonizing maritime transport: the Italian way through industrial synergies

About half of Italy’s imports and exports by volume pass through its ports, which also sustain the mobility of the 12% of the Italian population living on islands. Furthermore, a single cruise ship docked in port can consume energy and produce emissions equivalent to a small city.

Reducing maritime transport emissions is one of the most complex challenges of the ecological transition. Unsurprisingly, the sector is classified as hard-to-abate: there is no single "silver bullet" technology, but rather a mosaic of potential solutions. Research by SDA Bocconi, within the Blue Economy Monitor in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo, highlights that strategies adopted in Italy so far—from cold ironing to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)—have yielded modest results. Even in the medium-to-long term, these will allow for a maximum 5% cut in emissions.

To achieve a significant breakthrough, it is necessary to look beyond ports and individual shipping companies, focusing instead on synergies with major industrial systems—particularly in the field of CO₂ capture and management.

This perspective is especially relevant for Italy, which faces high energy costs, port fragmentation, and difficulties in building new infrastructure. Relationships between ports and cities are also often conflictual due to their proximity to historic centers. However, these very weaknesses suggest that focusing on what the country already excels at—such as the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies developed by Eni, Saipem, and Snam in Ravenna—could become a distinctive competitive factor in the Mediterranean.

Key questions

The research investigates how Italy can tackle maritime decarbonization in a context where European and international models are not easily replicable. In recent years, EU policies have introduced stringent new rules: the inclusion of the maritime sector in the Emission Trading System (ETS) and the FuelEU Maritime regulation force operators to calculate not just fuel prices, but the cost of emissions. However, a clear assessment of how much Italian strategies (dock electrification and LNG incentives) could actually contribute to climate goals was previously lacking.

Field work

The study analyzed the effects of two primary measures funded by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan):

• Cold Ironing: Electrifying docks to reduce ship emissions in port. Despite significant funding, this measure suffers from regulatory delays and a lack of clarity regarding costs for shipping companies.
• LNG: New ships and refueling infrastructure. However, LNG prices in Italy are among the highest in the world, and infrastructure is minimal (with only one plant in Ravenna). Here, too, the estimated impact is modest.

The outcome shows that, even in the best-case scenario, these strategies reduce emissions by less than 5%—far from the targets set by the European Union.

This has shifted focus toward a "third way": onboard carbon capture integrated with Italian industrial hubs. Ravenna already hosts the Mediterranean's main hub for carbon capture and storage, currently intended for sectors like steel and cement. Extending this technology to the maritime sector would allow for economies of scale, with potential emission reductions far exceeding LNG (which tops out at -23%).

Another front involves the 220 vessels used in local maritime public transport. The research suggests targeted approaches: direct electrification for ships connecting smaller islands and "green procurement" reward schemes tailored to the seasonal and small-scale nature of the service.

Looking ahead

Italy requires policies that are less fragmented and more synergy-oriented. The research suggests moving past broad, scattered investments to concentrate resources on integrated projects that link ports with industry. For port authorities and regions, the challenge is to adapt strategies to local specificities rather than "copy-pasting" standard solutions.

The prospect of carbon capture opens unprecedented business scenarios: fleet retrofitting, new partnerships with the energy industry, and the management of storage infrastructure. Additionally, the application of the ETS will generate between €333 million and €419 million annually for Italy from 2026, which could be reinvested into green innovation and infrastructure.

Shipowners operating in Europe must carefully evaluate their fleets' energy mix, considering not only fuel costs but also the rising costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, the decarbonization of Italian maritime transport remains a titanic challenge, but the research proves that building bridges with heavy industry is a strategy that can pay off.

This article is also published on SDA Bocconi Insight, in Italian. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.