Smart & circular = future-proof shipbuilding. That’s how Rosanne van Houwelingen, Dewi Wesselman, Bernardete Castro, Paul Grizell, and the Maritime Sisters kicked off the content programme at the Schuttevaer Expo earlier this week.
Strategic competitive position, cost savings and critical materials
From the perspective of shipyards, the European project Circles of Life, and two suppliers, it was practically demonstrated that circular steps directly contribute to our strategic competitive position and the 10–15% cost savings targeted under the Shipyard of the Future programme (#SAMMI). In short: circularity pays off!
It probably didn’t escape your attention: when the war in Ukraine broke out, concerns quickly arose about where we would source our shipbuilding steel. And you only have to glance at the headlines to see that a geopolitical struggle is underway over access to critical materials. And those are exactly the materials we urgently need for the energy transition…
Circular thinking creates opportunities across all phases of a ship’s lifecycle.
But smarter use of resources pays off not only when it comes to critical materials. The frontrunners we’ve worked with over the past year show that circular thinking, across all phases of a ship’s lifecycle, creates opportunities:
- From reducing cable usage on board through more efficient system integration (starting from the design phase) by Alewijnse, Damen Shipyards, Bureau Veritas, and TKF—resulting in direct savings on cost, materials, and weight.
- To increasing the circular potential of a ship (and the reusability of components during operation and dismantling) through the Ship Lifecycle Passport being developed by Circles of Life.
- To the high-value reuse of components through remanufacturing, where AEGIR-Marine, in collaboration with Bureau Veritas, is working within the Maritime Remanufacturing Network. This approach can deliver 40–60% economic benefit per component and a 60–80% reduction in ecological footprint.
- And the high-quality recycling of (massive) cast components from the dredging industry by Royal IHC, saving up to 80% of materials and maintaining access to (near-)critical resources.
The common denominator
The common denominator in all these examples: sustainable practices, resource access and autonomy, competitive shipbuilding, and the essential role of collaboration in making it all happen.
Let’s get to work!
Want to explore circular opportunities in the maritime sector?
Get in touch via [email protected] for the Circular Maritime programme we’re running together with BlueCity (010)!