In a significant stride toward a zero-emission maritime sector, the Prince’s Government of Monaco has announced its official backing and co-financing of Scorpio Ship Management S.A.M.’s participation in the innovative European project, MARINER. The initiative highlights the Principality’s deepening commitment to the decarbonization of global shipping and its proactive alignment with international environmental priorities.
The MARINER project, selected under the European Union’s flagship research and innovation framework, Horizon Europe, represents a concerted continental effort to transform how merchant vessels are powered. Coordinated by the Norwegian research institute NORCE Research, the initiative unites thirteen specialized European partners across the maritime, energy, and technology sectors. The project's ultimate ambition is to develop, validate, and scale a hydrogen-based maritime propulsion system utilizing high-power, high-performance fuel cells designed to endure rigorous open-sea operational constraints.
While Monaco remains a third country relative to the European Union, a co-financing mechanism established in 2022 with the European Commission allows Monegasque firms to actively engage in collaborative European research frameworks. This unique arrangement enables local enterprises to leverage European innovation instruments while advancing the Principality's national environmental agendas.
Scorpio Ship Management S.A.M. joins the MARINER consortium as an associate partner. The company will contribute its extensive operational expertise in merchant shipping alongside critical data sets necessary to evaluate the technical, economic, and environmental performance of the developing hydrogen technology.
This participation marks the third time the Monegasque government has backed a domestic entity within the Horizon Europe framework, following previous support for the Single Buoy Moorings Offshore group and the MonacoTech-incubated startup Sea Further.
The collaboration reflects a broader, systemic push by Monaco to accelerate its domestic energy transition, curb greenhouse gas emissions, and foster a robust "blue economy." By transitioning away from conventional fossil-fuel dependencies toward reliable, competitive, and zero-direct-emission technologies, the project seeks to establish a viable blueprint for future industrial-scale deployment across global trade routes.
Photo Credits: Government of Monaco Instagram