Research group

Maritime Decarbonisation

A cargo ship leaving a harbour

The Maritime Decarbonisation SIG drives eco-friendly shipping through collaboration and innovation, addressing environmental impact, regulations, and economic opportunities, in response to global challenges.

About

The Maritime Decarbonisation SIG is at the forefront of tackling the critical issue of maritime decarbonisation. This SIG recognises the profound importance of its mission for several reasons:

  • it strives to address the substantial environmental impact of the maritime industry. As one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, the industry's carbon footprint poses a severe threat to our planet. 
  • it is a proactive response to this environmental challenge, aiming to reduce emissions and promote a more sustainable future, including amid initiatives to develop global sectoral targets.
  • it will also contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Furthermore, the SIG is committed to ensuring that the maritime sector meets its regulatory commitments, especially in the context of emerging technologies such as autonomous vessels. Stringent regulations are necessary to enhance the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of maritime transportation. By focusing on these commitments, the SIG plays a pivotal role in promoting responsible industry practices.

While some may perceive maritime decarbonisation initiatives as costly, the SIG sees them as economic opportunities. Transitioning to greener shipping practices can lead to cost savings and new business prospects. By driving innovation and fostering sustainable solutions, the SIG helps industry players prosper in a changing global market.

International collaboration is another pillar of the SIG's efforts. The maritime sector operates on a global scale, and it is essential for stakeholders to work together to achieve meaningful results. International collaboration facilitates the sharing of best practices, technological innovations, and policy frameworks that can accelerate the industry's transformation in response to global challenges.

Through a multi-faceted approach that encompasses environmental responsibility, regulatory compliance, economic benefits, international collaboration, and alignment with national commitments, this SIG is driving positive change and shaping a more sustainable and prosperous future for all. 

To find out more about the Maritime Decarbonisation Special Interest Group and what we do, get in touch with group champion Seyedvahid Vakili, Panos Manias and Damon Teagle.

Join the SMMI Community to sign up to this group, and any others of interest to you.

People, projects and publications

People

Dr Huan Yu

Lecturer in Business Analytics

Research interests

  • Data-driven analytics
  • Robust optimization
  • Reinforcement learning

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Hugo Putuhena

RF in Offshore Renewable Energy

Research interests

  • Geospatial assessment  
  • Seabed/ocean digitalisation   
  • Offshore renewable energy
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Mr Hugo Webber

Research interests

  • Regulation for mitigation of maritime GHG emissions.
  • Operational and planning problems for maritime transport systems.
  • Naval architecture; ship system design, set based design.
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Mr Ian Coady

Deputy Director, Enterprise & Engagement
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Professor Ian Williams

Professor in Applied Environmental Scien

Research interests

  • Waste and Resource Management
  • Carbon management
  • Air Pollution

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Dr Ibrahim Sari

Associate Director of Business Dev in ES

Research interests

  • Semiconductors
  • System Integration
  • Advanced Packaging
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Miss Irene Ruiz Espejo

Research interests

  • AI for Biodiversity
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Professor Ivan Haigh

Professor

Research interests

  • I currently have 8 active research grants (4 as principle investigator (PI)) worth £4.8M. 
  • I am the PI on two international grants that started in 2019, both looking at compound flooding. Compound flooding (when the combination, or successive occurrence of, two or more hazard events leads to an extreme impact e.g., coastal and fluvial flooding), can greatly exacerbate the adverse consequences associated with flooding in coastal regions and yet it remains under-appreciated and poorly understood. In the £788k NERC- and NSF- (US National Science Foundation) funded CHANCE project, I am leading a team (working alongside researchers from the University of Central Florida), to deliver a new integrated approach to make a step-change in our understanding, and prediction of, the source mechanisms driving compound flood events in coastal areas around the North Atlantic basin. In the £575k NERC- and NAFOSTED- (Vietnam’s National Foundation for Science and Technology Development) funded project, I am leading a team that is working with colleagues in Vietnam to map and characterise present, and predict future, flood risk from coastal, fluvial, and surface sources and, uniquely, to assess the risk of compound flooding across the Mekong delta; one of the three most vulnerable deltas in the world. I am also the PI on a grant, which started in 2021. In this 41k project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat), we are assessing past and future closures of the six storm surge barriers in the Netherlands.
  • In 2021, I was awarded a 3-year (50% of my time) prestigious Knowledge Exchange Fellowship funded by NERC (UK’s Natural Environmental Research Council) and worth £154k. This fellowship builds strongly on my prior research and the overall goal is to provide guidance and tools that will help storm surge barrier operators better prepare for the impacts of climate change across every area of their operation now and into the future. Within the fellowship I am working primary with the UK Environment Agency (EA) and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat). However, to ensure the work undertaken can benefit all the existing (and planned) surge barriers around the world, I am also working closely with I-STORM. I-STORM is an international knowledge sharing network for professionals relating to the management, operation and maintenance of storm surge barriers, and has representation from all the surge barriers worldwide.

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Ivan

Professor J. Andy Milton

Prof Fellow in Analytical Geochemistry
Connect with J. Andy

Related research institutes, centres and groups

Related research institutes, centres and groups

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Enquiries

If you're interested in joining us or collaborating, get in touch with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute.