Towards Green and Smart Ports: A Review of Digital Twin and Hydrogen Applications in Maritime Management
Lucia Gazzaneo, Francesco Longo, Giovanni Mirabelli, Melania Pellegrino, Vittorio Solina
Abstract
Modern ports are pivotal to global trade, facing increasing pressures from operational demands, resource optimization complexities, and urgent decarbonization needs. This study highlights the critical importance of digital model adoption within the maritime industry, particularly in the port sector, while integrating sustainability principles. Despite a growing body of research on digital models, industrial simulation, and green transition, a specific gap persists regarding the intersection of port management, hydrogen energy integration, and Digital Twin (DT) applications. Specifically, a bibliometric analysis provides an overview of the current research landscape through a study of the most used keywords, while the document analysis highlights three primary areas of advancement: optimization of hydrogen storage and integrated energy systems, hydrogen use in propulsion and auxiliary engines, and DT for management and validation in maritime operations. The main outcome of this research work is that while significant individual advancements have been made across critical domains such as optimizing hydrogen systems, enhancing engine performance, and developing robust DT applications for smart ports, a major challenge persists due to the limited simultaneous and integrated exploration of them. This gap notably limits the realization of their full combined benefits for green ports. By mapping current research and proposing interdisciplinary directions, this work contributes to the scientific debate on future port development, underscoring the need for integrated approaches that simultaneously address technological, environmental, and operational dimensions.