As shipping faces growing pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions, new doctoral research from Tallinn University of Technology shows that the cleanest solution for small vessels is not one-size-fits-all. Instead, the best decarbonization pathway depends on route length, electricity supply, port infrastructure, vessel duty cycle and investment costs. The thesis focuses on vessels below 5,000 gross tonnage (GT), a segment that includes ferries, pilot boats and regional service vessels that have received far less attention than large ocean-going vessels.