The SEMS4USV project – Smart Energy Management System for Sustainable Extended-range Marine Unmanned Surface Vehicles, funded by the Research Grants Program 'FRONTEX RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAMME – Grant Agreement 2023/352', began in September 2023 in partnership with Instituto Superior Técnico and had a duration of one year.

The researchers from the Escola Superior Náutica Infante D. Henrique (ENIDH) were Professors Hugo Marques, Mário Assunção (Principal Investigator), Pedro Teodoro, Ricardo Póvoa, and Rosa Marat-Mendes.Os investigadores do Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) foram os professores João Fernandes e Paulo Branco.The Consortium

• ENIDH (Portugal) - (coordinator)
• IST (Portugal)

The project aimed to improve the performance of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and was carried out using the USV-enautica1 vessel, which was developed under the Sea2Future project.With the growing need for maritime security and the protection of EU borders, this initiative represented a significant step forward toward more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable maritime surveillance solutions.One of the project's primary outcomes was the development of a fully electric USV prototype, equipped with photovoltaic panels and an advanced Smart Energy Management System (SEMS).
During the final demonstration in the Tagus River near Lisbon, conducted under real-world conditions, the SEMS increased the vehicle's range by up to 20%. Additionally, the photovoltaic panels provided an extra range of 25-50%. The demonstration proved that, without these two components, mission completion under adverse conditions would have been impossible, while under favorable conditions, the vehicle was able to operate exclusively on the energy generated by the panels.The funding amounted to EUR 54,073.60, enabling the payment of two research fellowships, one undergraduate research fellowship, and the acquisition of various equipment.