New impetus for low-emission cargo ships

The international sailing cargo project “Juren AE”, in which the Emden/Leer University participates, will continue. The vessel, built as a supply ship between the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific, will be further developed.

“The project is being extended to allow further work on the technology and validation of the concept,” said Prof Michael Vahs, from the college’s Department of Shipping and Maritime Sciences. “We will measure and refine the innovative elements of the ship, in particular the sailing equipment and the battery-electric system, to achieve optimal efficiency and operational robustness. To this end, our scientists will go on board in the Pacific and support the shipping company,” Vahs said.

The ship was developed at the Maritime Technikum of the University of Applied Sciences in Leer, built under the supervision of the University of Applied Sciences in Korea and released for its maiden voyage last year. Its new concept, consisting of a remote-controlled three-mast Indosail rigging from the bridge, a photovoltaic battery system, a redundant propeller drive with recovery capability and a cargo transfer system, makes the vessel ideally suited to conditions on atolls and islands, where fuel costs are high, port infrastructure is limited and reliable transport services are indispensable. “Performance models show a savings potential of emissions of up to 80 per cent compared to conventional ships of similar size,” said Vahs, who is in charge of the project on behalf of the university.

The project received special attention last week (15 August 2025). International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez made a trip on the Juren AE during his official mission in the Pacific. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) received Domínguez in Majuro. Working closely with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies and the Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation (MISC) and with technical support from the Low Carbon Sea Transport project commissioned by the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the visit underscored the special role of the Marshall Islands as a global forerunner in climate protection and a regional pioneer in sustainable maritime transport.

This project shows that we are on the path to decarbonisation, that the technology is available and can be scaled up,” Domínguez said in a statement issued by the GIZ. As a prototype for future island-to-island shipping, the Juren AE also acts as a training platform and illustrates the Marshall Islands’ ambitious climate goals. During a meeting with Hilda C. Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, she and Domínguez emphasised the urgency of bringing global shipping in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement, according to GIZ. As further reported, Heine affirmed her republic’s determination to reduce emissions from domestic shipping by 40 per cent by 2030 and achieve full decarbonisation by 2050.

The Low Carbon Sea Transport (LCST) project was commissioned by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with the Marshall Islands Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation and regional and international partners, including the Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences.

More information on the project can be found here.

Source and image: Emden-Leer University of Applied Sciences.

Windassist sponsor