Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri has partnered with certification company RINA and energy business Eni on a number of joint initiatives supporting the decarbonisation of the maritime industry including the establishment of a permanent global observatory in Italy. 

The partnership will include an analysis and evaluation of the best sustainable energy alternatives for the maritime industry as well as the development of “complementary solutions” to existing fuels for hard-to-abate sectors. 

Fincantieri CEO Pierroberto Folgiero said: “This initiative is aimed at initially creating a hub of study to harness Italy's extraordinary expertise in new technologies, novel fuels, and their profound industrial implications for the ship system. 

“We are very pleased to join forces with Eni and RINA in an alliance to materialize existing solutions and to pave the way for the future with a proactive ecosystem approach.” 

The formal agreement falls in line with the existing commitments by each company to work towards achieving net zero by 2050 and meet the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Areas of interest included in the partnership also include an “analysis of the reference energy infrastructure”, development of logistic and supply chain structures, and the particular areas that need investment. 

It is not the first collaboration between Fincantieri and RINA to focus on alternative energy options, with the two organisations previously working together with nuclear energy startup Newcleo. 

RINA highlighted its belief in “the value of collaboration” as CEO and General Manager Carlo Luzzatto said: “Together, we have the opportunity to share knowledge and experience and to contribute to more sustainable solutions that support the shipping supply chain. 

“RINA brings to the partnership its engineering and technological skills, developed across various sectors, to support shipping in its journey towards reducing its carbon footprint, without excluding any energy options.”