Why is the decarbonization of maritime transport a vital issue?

An essential, but polluting sector

Maritime transport is the backbone of global trade. In 2023, nearly 13 billion tons of goods were transported by sea—a volume four times greater than in the 1970s . This explosive growth illustrates the strategic importance of the sector, but also its growing environmental impact.

If we compare CO₂ emissions per tonne transported, maritime transport remains the most economical of the major modes of transport: 12 to 13 g of CO₂ per tonne-kilometre , compared to 76 g for road transport and more than 500 g for air transport .

However, due to its global scale, it accounts for 3.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions , and 16.5% in Europe .

These figures remind us of a reality: even if efficient, maritime activities must change scale to remain sustainable .

Decarbonizing: A Shared Urgency

The maritime sector faces multiple challenges:

• pollution from hydrocarbons and combustion waste ,

• underwater noise that disturbs wildlife,

• the introduction of invasive species via ballast water,

• and a persistent dependence on fossil fuels .

Decarbonization is therefore not just a climate imperative, it is also a matter of innovation, employment and energy sovereignty.

HydroContest: Innovation driven by students

Founded in 2014 by the Hydros Foundation and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) , HydroContest has established itself as the leading international student competition dedicated to maritime energy efficiency . It has revealed generations of engineers capable of designing cleaner, more efficient, and smarter ships.

Relaunched today under the name HydroContest by ENSM , the event supported by the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime and the magazine Jeune Marine perpetuates this legacy with a renewed ambition: to give engineering students the voice and the reins so that they can invent the solutions of tomorrow.

Concrete objectives

HydroContest by ENSM operates on four fronts:

1. HydroContest Design : designing and piloting prototypes of eco-efficient ships.

2. HydroContest Retrofit Challenge : proposing solutions to modernize and decarbonize existing ships .

3. HydroContest Tech Days : bringing together students, experts and industry professionals to think together about the maritime transition .

4. Heading towards Maritime Routes : raising awareness among middle and high school students about maritime professions and ocean protection.

A catalyst for innovation and hope

As Caroline Pons , president of the association, reminds us, "every idea counts in building together a cleaner, more sustainable and more promising maritime future."

And Nathalie Mercier-Perrin , president of the French Maritime Cluster, emphasizes that "this event is much more than a competition: it is a true catalyst for innovation for our sector."

HydroContest by ENSM is therefore not just an event: it is a platform for action , a laboratory of creativity and a springboard for the talents who will navigate the world of tomorrow.

Illustration générée par IA : Décarboner le transport maritime, c’est innover pour concevoir les navires de demain, tout en réinventant ceux d’hier grâce au rétrofit / AI-generated illustration: Decarbonizing maritime transport means innovating to design the ships of tomorrow while reinventing those of yesterday through retrofit.