ElectriSea
Sweden–California collaboration for digitalization and zero-emission ferries
ElectriSea is a Sweden–USA collaboration aimed at accelerating the transition to zero-emission ferries through digitalization and data-driven decision support. The project will develop and demonstrate a digital twin simulation tool that integrates real-time operational data from a ferry operator with advanced modeling and naval architecture.
The maritime sector is a major emitter of greenhouse gases. The United Nations’ Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030) calls for steep emission cuts, 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050.
Sweden aims for zero emissions by 2045. The IMO’s strategy therefore promotes electrification, design changes, and digital solutions.
Digitalization and digital twins are emerging as key enablers of this transition. Digital twins provide a virtual replica of a vessel and its operations, enabling predictive analysis, energy optimization, and ROI evaluation for electrification, all without the cost or risk of experimenting with real vessels.
Traditional design-based digital twins struggle in maritime applications because ships are assembled from many independent components and lack unified data models. Cetasol therefore focuses on data-driven digital twins. By collecting operational data from a vessel, Cetasol’s adaptive models generate customized digital twins that update automatically and can calculate fuel savings, battery sizing, and optimal charging locations. Such models support energy optimization, predictive maintenance, situational simulation, and electrification planning.
The project
ElectriSea will demonstrate how digitalisation can accelerate the transition to zero-emission ferries by combining Swedish decision-support technology with U.S. naval architecture expertise and realworld ferry operations.
The core idea is to develop and apply a simulation tool that integrates operational data from a California ferry operator with design knowledge from naval architects. This tool will support both short-term optimisation (10–25% fuel reduction today) and long-term electrification planning (battery sizing, charging strategy, ROI, up to 95% CO₂ reduction).
The innovation component lies in creating a bridge between theory and practice:
- A state-of-the-art simulation environment (based on a data-based digital twin concept) that links real operational data directly to electrification scenarios, such as battery and charging design.
- Side-by-side comparison between simulation outputs and naval architect design calculations, providing operators with more accurate, validated guidance.
- Operator-facing decision-support dashboards that present clear and actionable insights for both immediate efficiency improvements and investment planning.
The project introduces new features compared to existing solutions:
- Real-world validation of design assumptions using live ferry data.
- Integrated simulation of both operational optimisation and electrification ROI.
- A user-friendly tool tailored to small and medium ferry operators who currently lack such a capability.
By combining Swedish digitalisation expertise, U.S. design competence, and an active operator, the project delivers a disruptive sustainable mobility solution: a practical decision-support tool that reduces fuel use today and derisks electrification investments for tomorrow.
Key deliverables
- a validated digital twin model, a practical decision-support tool
- a pilot demonstration in the USA
- dissemination at international ferry conferences in 2026.
Parties
The consortium brings together Cetasol from Sweden, the project coordinator, Glosten Naval Architects is the design and naval architecture partner from the United States, and a California ferry operator (SF Bay Ferries, TBC).
Each partner has a defined role: Cetasol leads model development, Glosten validates design and electrification scenarios, and the operator provides vessels and data for real-world validation.
Project manager: Sara Faghani, COO, Cetasol
Parties
Cetasol, Glosten Naval Architects and a California ferry operator (SF Bay Ferries, TBC)
Period
2025 to 2026
Innovation projects
