A Recap: How far THRUST has come towards a zero-footprint maritime industry
The THRUST progress report 2019-2022 illustrates how we helped get the ‘zero-emission fuel’ ball rolling in the traditional maritime industry, and the impact so far.
When Enviu forayed into the maritime sector with its THRUST program in 2019, the concept of zero-emission fuel was still nascent, particularly hydrogen as a fuel. Numerous discussions on the practicalities and mechanics of hydrogen only evinced a knowledge gap, which was the first hurdle to be overcome before adopting hydrogen as a fuel could even be a reality. Nevertheless, the THRUST team decided to be the testbed for change in a traditional and siloed industry like the maritime. It meant taking bold steps by thinking big, starting small, and scaling fast — the working formula of Enviu.
Over the past three years, the team motivated industry experts to create adaptable knowledge tools and working examples to equip the maritime industry for the radical changes it is witnessing today. We built the world’s first hydrogen-fueled water taxi, participated in the development of a green energy refueling station, are building a circular ship dismantling solution, and piloted zero-emissions B2B logistics over canals. Thanks to a motley team of experts, THRUST also contributed as impact-driven project consultants and researchers for established organizations and scientists in the maritime sector. Our fundamental research centered on urgent topics such as innovation, zero-emission fuels, and circularity in the sector.
Enviu’s ‘fail-fast and pivot’ approach helped the team re-evaluate critical planning and decisions. THRUST exited two ventures: Future Proof Shipping, and Portago. Two ventures are currently making positive strides — SWIM, the coalition venture for hydrogen fuel projects, and Circular Maritime Technology (CMT), a venture to re-purpose end-of-life vessels into sustainable products (steel, metal, energy). With our work on Circular Maritime Technologies, THRUST has added circularity to the discourse on maritime change in the Netherlands. It is a largely unexplored impact space with great potential. With the two ventures under the belt, the team aims to reduce 3,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by the end of 2050.
The progress has been tangible.
We are proud of how far we have come, thanks in equal measure to our funders and partners. We still have a long way to go, but we remain positive as the industry is clearly changing.
With this progress report, THRUST zooms in on the progress the team has made so far, and our plans to scale our impact. More importantly, this is a document that we hope will inspire more organizations in the maritime and energy sectors to work with us, and together develop concrete solutions towards a net zero impact.
