In recent days, the General Command of the Corps of Port Authorities - Coast Guard, as competent administration for the safety of navigation, has issued for the first time to a flag naval unit authorization for the use of batteries as a replacement of diesel generators. The authorization measure, intended for to be extended to other vessels, was adopted under the "equivalence" within the meaning of the SOLAS Convention and the Directive 2009/45/EC, ensuring compliance with the necessary requirements safety, in particular for fire prevention. Currently, in fact - recalled the Corps of the Captaincies of Port - there are no international or EU regulations that regulate the use of batteries in the maritime sector and for for this reason, the Coast Guard in issuing the authorization adopted a risk-based approach, using the guidelines of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) carried out in cooperation with the Member States most virtuous in the field, including Italy itself.

The aim of the approach adopted is to ensure that that naval units equipped with battery systems maintain at least the same level of safety as ships with conventional power generation. To this end, the Guard Coastal, in agreement with the recognised bodies and the stakeholders in the sector (shipyards and shipowners), is developing Detailed technical instructions for national units intend to adopt alternative fuels and zero-emission technologies emissions, including batteries.