Green Fleet - Marina Militare

The Italian Navy's Green Fleet ("Flotta Verde") Project was initially launched in 2012 to find an alternative marine fuel derived from resources other than petroleum, with a view to enhancing national energy security while reducing pollutant emissions.

The Italian Navy's commitment to addressing environmental and energy challenges also included the adoption of several innovative technologies within the all-encompassing strategic "Green Fleet" concept, envisaged in the framework of the recently-launched fleet renewal programme.

The following strategies may be actually associated to the "Green Fleet" Project:

adoption of a renewable synthetic fuel, in line with the targets established by the EU Directive 2009/29/EC (Horizon 2020);
development and use of innovative eco-design technologies, enabling the reduction of the environmental impact of ships (LED lighting, SCR, silicone paints)
global reduction in ships' energy consumption, through the adoption of energy saving operating procedures (electric propulsion, energy dashboard).

The Italian Navy is leader in the biofuels sector in Europe, being the first (and only so far) to launch a test programme on the use of Green Diesel in the naval sector, and to use a blend of up to 50% green renewable diesel, even before the mandatory 10% target set by the EU to be achieved by 2020.

The Italian Navy received the Green Global Banking Award, during a one-day conference on the green economy, on account of its commitment to protect and preserve the Mediterranean Sea through the implementation of the Green Fleet Project and its endorsement of the EU Marine Strategy.