CAPTN Energy Secures Further Funding

The research and developement alliance CAPTN Energy has been granted additional funding for its innovative projects regarding maritime energy transition – the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources specifically within the shipping and maritime industry. Following a successful interim evaluation, the alliance convinced the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) of the quality and impact of its work to date, securing an additional €4 million. In total, CAPTN Energy will now receive approximately €12 million in funding for the period 2023–2028. These resources will enable research institutions and companies in the Kiel Canal region to conduct pioneering research and development projects that prepare the maritime industry for the use of renewable energy sources. The Schleswig-Holstein Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature (MEKUN) is supporting the project through co-financing.

“We are delighted about the continued support for CAPTN Energy. This funding ensures scientific progress in the field of maritime energy transition and strengthens the transfer of research results into industry. It enables technological innovation and new business models that can drive sustainable structural change in our alliance region. We would like to thank the BMFTR for its renewed support, MEKUN for its continued co-financing, and all partners actively engaged in the alliance and research projects,” said Prof. Dr. Frank Meisel, Coordinator of the CAPTN Energy alliance and Professor of Supply Chain Management at Kiel University.

From technological innovations to real-world applications
In its first funding phase, which started in 2023, CAPTN Energy established vital foundations: building a regional innovation network, setting up an advisory board to review project proposals, launching two funding calls, organizing numerous information events, and initiating the first research projects.

The second phase will start in 2026 and end in 2028. It will allow intensified research activities along the entire supply chain of renewable energy. The focus will be on developing demonstrators and prototypes, such as energy containers capable of flexibly providing renewable fuels and electricity to ships. Together with innovative business models, these technological developments will pave the way toward real-world applications. By fostering close collaboration between regional companies and research institutions, CAPTN Energy actively shapes the maritime energy transition. Two key priorities in this phase will be the transfer of results into practice and the long-term establishment of the alliance structures beyond the funding period.

CAPTN Energy is part of the CAPTN Initiative and is coordinated by Kiel University in close cooperation with Kiel University of Applied Sciences, TKMS, the Kiel Science Centre, and the external project management agency DSN Connecting Knowledge.

Text: Julia Voß, translation: A. Wimber