Nordic Circles is a Norwegian industrial initiative focused on accelerating circularity and emission reduction in the maritime and offshore value chain, with a particular emphasis on ship recycling, material recovery, and upcycling. Through close collaboration with leading decommissioning yards such as AF Offshore Decom, Nordic Circles works at the interface between operations, technology, and sustainability, translating real end-of-life practices into scalable circular solutions.
The motivation for joining the CirclesOfLife consortium is rooted in a clear ambition: to ensure that end-of-life and recycling are fully integrated into lifecycle thinking for ships. While much innovation in the maritime sector focuses on design and operation, Nordic Circles brings the perspective of what happens when a vessel reaches its final phase. By contributing operational insight, environmental data, and practical constraints from decommissioning yards, Nordic Circles helps close the loop between design intent and real circular outcomes.
Within CirclesOfLife, Nordic Circles contributes primarily through a case study focused on ship recycling and steel upcycling. This includes documenting as-is dismantling and logistics processes, identifying opportunities for emission reduction, and supporting the validation of the Shipyard Environmental Performance Index (SEPI) for end-of-life activities. In addition, Nordic Circles provides input to the development of the Ship Lifecycle Passport (SLP) and the Ship Circular Materials Passport (SCMP) by ensuring that end-of-life data requirements are realistic, verifiable, and useful for dismantling and reuse decisions.
More information: Nordic Circles