A PROPOSAL OF MARINE SHORT RANGE TRANSPORTATION, IN MEDITERRANEAN SCENARIO, TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS AND IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENT.

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea can be taken as a good example of the advantage of people transportation by water, in order to reduce pollution. This is mainly due to historical reasons, in fact the ashore private transportation along coasts of Italy, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croazia etc, has been developed during centuries on the basis of Roman Empire roads, and furtherly with development of railways, offering basically 2 different ways of transport. But recent solutions and studies shows the possibility to give a significant contribution to the reduction of emissions by the use of appropriate vessels. In fact, the present generation of propulsion system in marine application, and the developments of hybrid propulsion, with new technologies for batteries, makes possible to build a vessel with a significant reduction of pollution. The author, after studying also, as a benchmark, the transportation used on main Italian Lakes, and using his experience with other vessel, also hydrofoil and fast vessels, consider a case study of transportation applied to Ligurian an Tirrenic sea, by the use of a fleet of fast vessels, capable to carry 350-400 passengers at an average speed of 22-24 knot, comparing the fuel consumption and the cost of each vessel with the average capability and price of a train and comparing the fuel consumptions of the vessels with the total amount of fuel used by the amount of private cars used to move the same amount of people. The study takes in consideration also the average sea condition, to demonstrate that especially in the area considered, a similar service can guarantee a long-term usage. The result of the study shows how is possible to adopt a significant benefit for the environment, due the possibility now offered to use e-fuels, or green fuels, to reduce the ashore facilities, no need of bridges, tunnels, road etc.