Maritime CleanTech, together with ten European partners, has launched SeaThrive (Supporting Maritime Alternative Fuel Projects), a new initiative to accelerate the development of alternative fuel projects in shipping.
The 30-month project is coordinated by Maritime CleanTech and kicked off in Brussels on May 20 and 21, 2026. Supported by nearly €2 million in EU funding, SeaThrive will help turn early-stage ideas into viable investment projects by providing targeted support, practical tools and knowledge to industry stakeholders.
- SeaThrive aims to move promising fuel projects from early uncertainty to investment-ready decisions by combining better tools with hands-on project support, says Håvard Tvedte, Interim CEO of Maritime CleanTech.
As the industry transitions to low- and zero-emission fuels, projects often face financial and regulatory barriers. SeaThrive focuses on overcoming these challenges by strengthening earlystage project development.
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Supporting project development and investment readiness
SeaThrive supports the critical early phases of project development, where key decisions on fuel choice, location and business model are made. Through training, workshops, advisory services and matchmaking, the project will help mature projects towards funding and implementation. The consortium will organise more than 15 workshops across Europe, develop online training reaching over 10,000 participants, and support more than 20 project proposals for potential funding.
Financial clarity for better decisions
A second central element of SeaThrive is the development of an advanced financial analysis tool for alternative fuel projects. It will provide stakeholders with a clearer understanding of total costs, including CAPEX, OPEX and regulatory compliance, as well as impacts on operations and business models. This will enable better assessment of risks, costs and revenue potential, supporting stronger investment decisions.
Building a stronger European ecosystem
SeaThrive brings together maritime clusters, research institutions and industry to strengthen collaboration and increase the pipeline of viable alternative fuel projects in Europe. The project will also establish a “living lab” as an open digital platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing beyond the project period.
About SeaThrive
SeaThrive is a Coordination and Support Action funded under the EU Horizon Europe programme. The project runs for 30 months from April 2026. SeaThrive is designed to turn early-stage alternative fuel ideas into investment-ready maritime projects. It provides hands-on support through workshops, training, advisory services and matchmaking to help stakeholders overcome financial and regulatory barriers. A core component is the development of advanced financial tools that clarify costs, risks and revenue potential, enabling stronger investment decisions. By bringing together industry, research and maritime clusters, SeaThrive strengthens collaboration and builds a lasting ecosystem for low- and zero emission fuel innovation in Europe.
Project partners
The SeaThrive consortium is composed of relevant stakeholders in the maritime domain at European level, integrating diversified competences in the alternative fuel’s innovation chain. The project is coordinated by the Maritime Cleantech cluster from Norway, further three clusters are present, respectively Pôle Mer Méditerranée from France, the Maritime, Aerospace, Renewable Energies Technology Cluster FVG from Italy and the Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland from Germany.
The R&D is represented with key players as National Technical University of Athens in Greece, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and the Danmarks Tekniske Universitet - the Technical University in Denmark, and VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland.
The partnership integrates competences of two innovative SMEs, Auxios from Norway and Epsilon International from Malta together with the classification society Lloyd’s Register.
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