Proposals should focus on one of the following themes:

1. Monitoring and technology foresight on green shipping in the Mediterranean, including energy consumption, technological chains in maritime alternative fuels, and practices and opportunities for strategic development of infrastructures to boost sustainable sources for green shipping;
2. Promotion of energy communities in ports of the Mediterranean, e.g. by supporting/anticipating the transition to LNG, or from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels/technologies, including green hydrogen, electrification, wind, etc.;
3. Promote commercial vessels (including local small-scale ferries and service vessels) and fishing boats transition to LNG, or from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels-propulsion/technologies (green hydrogen, electrification, wind).

Building on the above priorities/themes the main activities that can be funded are divided in three areas:

1. Monitoring and technology foresight on green shipping in the Mediterranean, including for example:

• Assessment of green shipping challenges and potentials at a regional level;
• Economic, financial, environmental and technological assessment and methodological issues, also based on the results of EU funded projects (state of the art, challenges, potentials);
• Market analysis and supply chain mapping;
• Localisation and sizing of facilities and infrastructures (assess development potentials) and challenges, including impact and management of pandemic crises in ports (i.e. health protocols);
• Assessment at Regional and National level (especially in North African countries);
• Monitoring of emissions (GHG, sulphur and particle matter, etc.);
• Assessment of projected demand from ships for (sustainable) energy in the Mediterranean;
• SWOT analysis of a full sustainable energy transition, including an evaluation of the demand for sustainable energy and the driving factors for attracting investors in the region.

2. Promoting energy communities in ports of the Mediterranean, e.g. by supporting/anticipating the transition from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels/technologies (e.g. green hydrogen, electrification, wind, etc.), including for example;

• Assess the state-of-art of EU and non-EU projects dealing with relevant information of ports that could help build Energy Communities;
• Identify which local stakeholders (businesses, agencies, private operators) could have suitable port data/technologies – as a basis to further engagement and involvement with them;
• Understand the governance structures under which ports are organised (public lease of land to private operators);
• Share data on potential energy consumption per port;
• Discussion of potentials of sharing of real time data (monitoring of the efficiency);
• Carry out baseline study of current/future regulation of energy usage across (participating) countries;
• Set-up of “Living Labs” for Pilot Ports, intended as structured multi-stakeholder groups aimed at discussing the specific patterns, challenges and opportunities related to sustainable energy supply and consumption, including overall legal/policy framework;
• Setting-up concrete micro action-plans towards the piloting and establishment of Energy Communities in each port involved;
• Coordinating pilot actions to test the feasibility of such plans and sharing results throughout the project implementation across the various ports and beyond.

3. Promoting commercial vessels (including local small-scale ferries and service vessels) and fishing boats transition from LNG towards a wider choice of alternative fuels-propulsion/technologies (green hydrogen, electrification, wind), including for example:

• Assessment of adaptation costs for greening local infrastructures and vessels and gain their transition to fully sustainable sources of fuel and other energy/propulsion means;
• Analysis of alternatives and which financial tools could be used towards decarbonisation;
• Analysis of what operators are looking for and what are the available alternatives of fuels for operators;
• Assess the options for energy investments, addressing the need for short-term investments and cost structure for adaptation (towards a clear strategy for sustainable fuel bunkering);
• Study on regulatory aspects building on current consultations, aimed at the support of fleet transition (particularly south);
• Capitalise on experiences/models being developed in EU ports/shipping companies.