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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 champions Tahsin Tezdogan and Louise du Toit.

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

People, projects and publications

People

Dr Sam Thompson

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Chemical Biology
  • Organic Synthesis
  • Medicinal Chemistry

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: sam.thompson@southampton.ac.uk

Address: B30, East Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Seyedvahid Vakili

Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Sustainable shipping;
  • Net zero emissions;
  • Alternative fuels for (maritime) net zero emissions;

Dr Sheida Afshan PhD, CEng, MICE, MIStructE, FHEA

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • High performance metallic materials and structures for applications in infrastructure and energy sectors
  • Experimental and numerical investigation of structural materials and components
  • Metallic materials for liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel storage and transportation

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: s.afshan@soton.ac.uk

Address: Boldrewood Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF

Professor Stephen Turnock

Head of School

Research interests

  • His fluid dynamics expertise lies in the synthesis of analytical, experimental and computational methods for a diverse range of applications. Examples of such work are in the development of a patented integrated tidal energy generator (winner of The Engineers’ Energy Sector Innovation award 2008), supervision of the students who designed Amy Williams’ Gold medal winning bob skeleton sled (winner of The Engineer’s Sport Technology Innovation award in 2010) and with continued support for Gold medal success in 2014 and 2018, academic supervisor for the Delphin Autonomous underwater vehicle (winner of the SAUC-E competition in 2007).
  • He has acted as a consultant to diverse organisations including NOC, Speedo, Shell Shipping, BAEsystems, Rolls Royce, dstl, QinetiQ, and WS Atkins.
  • Expertise: Future Fuels for Shipping; Maritime Robotics and Autonomy; Rudder, hydrofoil, and control surface design; Unsteady race simulation for kayak, rowing and sailing; Hull-propeller-rudder interaction; Ship added resistance and manoeuvring in waves; Underwater noise prediction using CFD; Experimental techniques for use of wave/tow tank testing; Tidal turbines, wave energy and offshore wind turbine design; Wind turbine array power prediction; Hydrogen fuel cells for hybrid ship propulsion; Hydrodynamics of swimming assessment by pool based test techniques and using CFD.

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: s.r.turnock@soton.ac.uk

Address: Boldrewood Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF

Professor Suleiman Sharkh BEng, PhD, CEng, MIET

Prof of Electrical Machines and Drives

Research interests

  • Electric Machines
  • Power Electronics
  • Microgrids

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: s.m.sharkh@soton.ac.uk

Address: B7, East Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Dr Tahsin Tezdogan

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • He has a broad range of research interests, including CFD simulations of ship motions and resistance, the added resistance of ships due to waves, and the investigation of ship behaviour and performance in channels/canals. He worked on a number of internationally collaborated Newton Fund and Global Challenges projects. He worked on the EU-funded VENTuRE, MarLEM and GATERS projects as an investigator.
  • His PhD graduates work throughout the maritime sector, including ship design companies, academia, technology-led defence companies, offshore, renewable energy, and research organisations worldwide.
  • Please feel free to contact him directly on T.Tezdogan@soton.ac.uk if you are interested in starting a PhD under his supervision.

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: t.tezdogan@soton.ac.uk

Address: Boldrewood Campus, Burgess Road, SO16 7QF

Professor Tiina Roose

Professor-Biological&Environmental Model

Emeritus Professor Victor Humphrey

Research interests

  • Professor Humphrey has particular research interests in the areas of medical ultrasound and underwater acoustics. Common themes running through his research include the understanding and application of non-linear acoustics and the laboratory measurement of physical acoustic phenomena including scattering. His main research interests include: · Nonlinear propagation, streaming and imaging in medical ultrasonics; · Ultrasonic heating and propagation in biological media; · Parametric arrays and their application to acoustic measurements in the laboratory; · Acoustic transmission and reflection properties of isotropic and anisotropic materials; · Scattering from objects and methods of measuring and predicting the scattered field for regular and irregular bodies; · Numerical modelling of transducers and fields.

Email: vh@isvr.soton.ac.uk

Address: B13, East Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Professor Xize Niu

Professor of Biosensing&Microengineering

Accepting applications from PhD students

Email: x.niu@soton.ac.uk

Address: B25, East Highfield Campus, University Road, SO17 1BJ

Related research institutes, centres and groups

Related research institutes, centres and groups

Connect with us

Enquiries

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