Advanced Protection for Maritime Infrastructure and Globally Sustainable Shore Power (AEGIS)

Led by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the AEGIS programme aims to support and widen the safe adoption of Onshore Power Supply (OPS), the practice in the maritime industry that allows a docked ship to draw power from environmentally sustainable shore-based systems, rather than use its own diesel engines. 

AEGIS is delivered through a collaboration of NTUA schools, the School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (lead school), the School of Chemical Engineering, and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, bringing together interdisciplinary expertise. This academic base is matched with international cooperation with leading professional and standardisation bodies: AMPP (the Association for Materials Protection and Performance), IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and IMarEST (the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology).

This strategic project establishes a comprehensive research and validation framework to address the technical challenges that arise when ships are connected to Onshore Power Supply systems at berth. It focuses on advancing corrosion prevention and ensuring the long-term structural integrity of maritime assets, while further solidifying the high electrical safety standards already associated with shore-side connections. The AEGIS programme disseminates its research findings to key decision-makers across the maritime value chain, supporting the confident and widescale deployment of OPS worldwide. 

Key activities for the programme include:  

• Researching the ship-port interface to gather baseline data, detail corrosion problems, and assess the performance of mitigation strategies such as impressed-current cathodic protection (ICCP) and advanced grounding systems.  

• Running simulation models to validate the data gathered and explore different operating variables, leading to the development of a ship-to-port digital twin for industry use, as well as adaptive ICCP system and grounding prototypes.   

• Field testing the developed protection strategies, starting at the Port of Kyllini and Port of Igoumenitsa in Greece and across European port infrastructure, to validate their scalability and real-world impact and demonstrate measurable improvements in infrastructure resilience at pilot sites.

• Providing a robust scientific basis to enable professional and regulatory bodies to develop and embed new standards, regulations and best practice across the industry.   

• Empowering maritime professionals with the skills and knowledge to deploy the advanced mitigation strategies in their own scenarios, through training modules, workshops and use of the digital twin.    

By creating an enabling environment to support the widespread adoption of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) practices, the AEGIS programme aims to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases in port areas, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and support port ecosystems as drivers of a more sustainable maritime economy. The programme’s capacity-building activities will ensure that the global maritime workforce is fully prepared to manage the infrastructure of the future, safeguarding both human life and high-value maritime assets.