Delft University of Technology is a proud partner in the key project on sustainable shipbuilding, Circles of Life co-funded by the European Union.
While sustainability in the maritime sector started with a focus on GHG (greenhouse gasses), the discussion is slowly moving to a broader concept of sustainability. In this respect, operations and exhaust gasses form 80% of the impact at the moment, yet with the visions and legislation laid out for 2030, that share will fast decline. Therefore, it is crucial to look not only at these elements but to start to consider the emissions during production, refits, and maintenance as well as the impact the material choices have on the sustainability of the vessel.
For this purpose, Circles of Life has brought together esteemed European collaborators including shipyards, suppliers, research organizations, NGOs, and classification bodies. Providing a broad body of knowledge to build upon as well as views from all key stakeholders, as the choice for indicators, should be both effective and manageable for all parties.
The results of the project will provide a clear and reliable way to show to a much broader audience the impact and especially the reductions in impact that are achieved by the maritime sector. As for the TU Delft, as a frontrunner in research into sustainability, extensive knowledge on the relevant subjects of circularity, LCAs in combination with shipbuilding processes and ship design was already gained. This can now be used and combined to support the discussions on the choices for KPIs for both the Ship Environmental Performance Indicators as well as the ship’s Cradle to Cradle Material Passport. TU Delft will play therefore a key role in discussions and validation of ideas and concepts.
Together we will be able to form a reliable, workable and sustainable approach to shipbuilding and ship design for the future of the maritime sector.
More information: TU Delft | University of Technology
This groundbreaking project has received financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101138013.
