Two Pillars Leading the Eco-Friendly Maritime Era: Sustainability and Maritime Cyber Security
Design for Sustainability & Cyber Security
How Decarbonization and Digitalization Are Reshaping Cyber Risk on Digital Ships
Today, the maritime and shipbuilding industry is undergoing a rapid transformation to meet stricter Environmental Protection regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and achieve net-zero targets. From eco-friendly alternative fuel propulsion (such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen) and Alternative Maritime Power (AMP / Shore Power) to hybrid propulsion systems and Power Management Systems (PMS) for energy efficiency, 'Sustainability' has evolved from a market trend into an indispensable requirement for vessel design and operation.
This article is written for the people who have to make that transformation actually work — ship designers, shipyard engineers, and vessel operators — to explain, in plain terms, why chasing decarbonization and ignoring cybersecurity is not really an option, and what a "secure by design" power system looks like in practice.
Ⅰ. Background: Why Decarbonization Now Requires Digitalization
Since 2023, the IMO's revised Greenhouse Gas Strategy and the EEXI / CII rules have put a number on every ship's carbon performance, and that number has real commercial consequences — a poor CII rating can affect chartering and financing. To improve that number, owners are turning to hybrid propulsion, alternative fuels, and smarter energy management instead of simply running bigger engines less efficiently.
However, maximizing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions require every power and control system onboard to be connected in real-time and fully digitized — generators, propulsion, cargo systems, and increasingly shore-based platforms all need to share data continuously to optimize how energy is produced and consumed.
- PMS (Power Management System) — the "brain" that decides, second by second, how a ship's generators share electrical load so the lights stay on and the propeller keeps turning.
- VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) — the controller that adjusts motor speed for things like propulsion, pumps, and fans, instead of running them at one fixed speed.
- AMP / Shore Power — lets a docked ship plug into the port's electrical grid instead of running its own generators, cutting emissions while alongside.
- EcoStruxure — Schneider Electric's IoT-enabled platform connecting shipboard equipment, control systems, and cloud analytics.
- IACS UR E26 / E27 — the classification societies' shared cybersecurity requirements: E26 for the ship as a whole, E27 for individual onboard equipment.
Ⅱ. Emerging Threats: Cyber Security Risks Faced by Digital Ships
As vessel Operational Technology (OT) systems become networked and linked with shore-based data centers and cloud IoT platforms (such as EcoStruxure), ships are becoming smarter — yet increasingly exposed to cyber threats.
- Risk of Control System Compromise — Cyberattacks targeting critical power and control hardware, such as PMS, switchboards, and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), can lead to operational disruptions or catastrophic safety incidents at sea.
- Mandatory Regulatory Compliance — With the implementation of strict cyber resilience standards like IACS (International Association of Classification Societies) UR E26 and E27, fulfilling cybersecurity compliance right from the equipment and power system level has become a mandatory task for shipyards and owners.
The maritime industry does not need to imagine this risk in the abstract. In June 2017, the NotPetya malware spread through Maersk's global IT network in a matter of hours, forcing the company to reinstall thousands of servers and laptops and bringing container booking and terminal operations at ports worldwide to a standstill — at an estimated cost of roughly $300 million. NotPetya hit Maersk's IT systems, not a ship's PMS directly, but it proved a simple point: in a connected fleet, one weak link can cascade from an office network into physical, real-world operations.
Picture a hybrid vessel whose PMS automatically balances load between diesel generators and battery power. If an unauthorized actor could reach that PMS's control logic — through an unsecured remote-access link left open for a supplier, for example — they could force it to shed or overload generators at the wrong moment, risking a blackout during a port approach or a critical maneuver. This is precisely the kind of scenario that zone segmentation and access control under IACS UR E26/E27 are designed to prevent.
Ⅲ. Schneider Electric's Approach: 'Design for Sustainability & Cyber Security'
As a global leader in energy management and automation, Schneider Electric views sustainable business and cybersecurity not as separate domains, but as interconnected pillars. True energy innovation and sustainability can only endure on a secure, resilient foundation.
In practice, "secure by design" for a shipboard power system means the same handful of engineering habits, applied consistently from the earliest design stage rather than bolted on afterward:
- Zone segmentation — keeping propulsion and power systems on their own protected network zones, separate from IT and entertainment networks.
- Defense in depth — layering multiple, independent controls so that no single failure exposes the whole system.
- Controlled remote access — every remote connection used for diagnostics or updates is authenticated, logged, and time-limited, not left permanently open.
- Lifecycle patching — planning for software and firmware updates across the vessel's operating life, not only at delivery.
Ⅳ. Conclusion: Navigating Toward a Safe and Green Maritime Future
Building a sustainable maritime ecosystem goes beyond simply installing eco-friendly hardware onboard. Putting the final piece into the green shipping puzzle requires building a cybersecurity-backed power system that ensures seamless, uninterrupted operation against external cyber threats.
For engineers and owners working through this transition today, the practical starting point is simple: treat every new digital connection added in the name of efficiency as a design decision that also needs a security answer, from the first line drawn on the diagram.
A cybersecurity-backed power system is the final piece of the green shipping puzzle — ensuring seamless, uninterrupted operation against external cyber threats.
Schneider Electric remains committed to working alongside shipyards, shipowners, and the vibrant Maritime AI & Cyber community to drive a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable future for global shipping.
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Nearly 8 years of hands-on shipboard automation and power systems experience at Schneider Electric Marine & Offshore — preceded by 9 years as Manager at SPP Shipbuilding and 2+ years as Engineer at DESMI. Bridges vendor-side field engineering with full shipbuilding lifecycle expertise.
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