Dowel Innovation is proud to announce its participation in two newly launched European projects, MARINER and SE-Hydro, both funded by the European Union and addressing key challenges in the transition towards a more sustainable, resilient and climate-neutral energy future.
As Innovation Manager in both initiatives, Dowel Innovation will lead activities related to communication, dissemination, exploitation, and intellectual property rights (IPR) management, ensuring that project results achieve maximum visibility, impact and market uptake.
MARINER: Advancing Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Zero-Emission Shipping
MARINER Consortium (credits: Rune Rovsjord- NORCE)
The MARINER project aims to develop, validate and demonstrate a modular 1 MW proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system, scalable to capacities of 10 MW and beyond. Designed specifically for maritime applications, the system will meet industry requirements regarding performance, durability, safety, certification and cost—critical barriers that have so far limited the large-scale deployment of hydrogen fuel cells at sea.
Co-funded by the European Union through the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and coordinated by NORCE Research, MARINER addresses one of the most pressing challenges of the energy transition: the decarbonisation of maritime transport.
Without significant intervention, emissions from global shipping could increase by 50–250% by 2050. In response, the European Union has introduced ambitious regulatory measures, including the extension of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to maritime transport and the FuelEU Maritime regulation, both of which are accelerating the sector’s shift away from fossil fuels.
By transforming hydrogen fuel cell technology into a robust, practical and scalable solution for real-world maritime operations, MARINER represents a significant step towards the future of sustainable shipping.
SE-Hydro: Reimagining Sustainable Hydropower for Europe
SE-Hydro consortium (credits: Stéphanie Petit-Dowel Innovation)
Coordinated by the Energy Policy Unit of the National Technical University of Athens (EPU-NTUA), the SE-Hydro project envisions a future in which hydropower serves as a flexible, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive pillar of Europe’s energy system.
Over the next three and a half years, project partners will develop and validate innovative energy and water management solutions designed to increase the operational flexibility of hydropower plants while simultaneously improving river ecosystem health and balancing competing water-use demands.
SE-Hydro introduces a pioneering transdisciplinary framework that combines environmental and hydrological assessment tools, AI-driven energy management schemes, and advanced turbine operation strategies. These innovations will be tested through digital replicas of four representative hydropower sites located in Greece, France, Portugal and Serbia.
The demonstration sites encompass a broad spectrum of hydropower configurations—from small-scale to large-scale installations—and include run-of-river, reservoir, cascade and intake-tunnel systems operating under diverse river basin conditions. This diversity will ensure that the project’s solutions can be adapted and replicated across Europe’s hydropower sector.
By integrating renewable energy generation with environmental protection and community engagement, SE-Hydro seeks to redefine the role of hydropower within Europe’s evolving energy landscape.
We are excited to collaborate with our consortium partners on these ambitious initiatives and look forward to contributing to innovations that accelerate Europe’s green and digital transition.
Find the press release for MARINER here.
Find the press release for SE-Hydro here.
