In recent years, there has been a significant development in “green” and energy efficient propulsion systems, which fits into the general trend of environmentally friendly “green shipping”. The pursued goal is to construct a safe passenger ship that is low in energy demand and equipped with a highly energy efficient, emission-free propulsion system. The paper presents main problems encountered by designers of a small, hybrid-powered ferry powered lithium batteries. The conducted research allowed to create a design of an energy efficient hull shape, which decreases the demand for energy. Completed remote control model tests resulted in a proposal of an energy efficient and safe propulsion system with good manoeuvring capabilities. Measurements completed on an existing ferry permitted completing energy balance and forming an energy management policy. The paper contains the emission calculations computed for the existing ferry that are necessary for the environmental impact analysis. The soon to be constructed, newly designed vessel will provide a valuable contribution to hybrid-propulsion, energy management and unmanned technologies research.

Interest in hybrid propulsion systems that can be used on small vessels has increased significantly in recent years. They can replace inefficient and environmentally burdensome conventional systems based on diesel engines. Hybrid propulsion has many advantages such as high energy efficiency and virtually noiseless operation, and therefore it fits well with the current trends of “green shipping” and “zero emission”. The aim of the research conducted was to examine and analyse the varied energy demand of a small inland ferry with electric propulsion depending on the navigation strategy. The work included tests carried out on a model of the vessel. Conventional resistance tests involving towing the model at a constant speed proved to be of no use for the unit, which, during a short voyage, moves with variable speeds and manoeuvres. Therefore, atypical and unique tests were performed to determine the energy consumption during the acceleration of the unit and the parameters of navigation with the propulsion turned off. The work resulted in calculated forecasts of energy consumption by the ship depending on the adopted cruising style and a proposal of the most energy-efficient way to cross the shipping route connecting the two banks of the Motława River in the city of Gdańsk.

Recently, there has been a significant development of ecological propulsion systems, which is in line with the general trend of environmentally friendly “green shipping”. The main aim is to build a safe, low-energy passenger ship with a highly efficient, emission-free propulsion system. This can be achieved in a variety of ways. The article presents the main problems encountered by designers and constructors already at the stage of designing the unit. The research conducted made it possible to create a design with an effective shape of the hull, with the prospect of an energy-efficient and safe propulsion system with good manoeuvrability. The scope of the research included towing tank tests, recalculation of the results in full-scale objects and a prediction of the energy demand of the propulsion system. The results obtained were compared to indicate power supply variants depending on the hull shape.