Implementation and application of an integrated framework for economic and environmental assessment of maritime transport vessels

Global maritim transport utgjør mer enn 90% av internasjonal handel, og står for 3,3% av menneskeskapte CO2-utslipp (IMO, 2011; Buhaug et al., 2009). Det er forventet at disse utslippene vil øke med 150-250% innen 2050, dersom ingen grep blir gjort. Den siste IPCC-rapporten slår fast at klimagassutslippene fra transportsektoren må reduseres med minst 50% innen 2050, for å kunne nå målet om maksimalt 2°C temperaturøkning. Dette betyr at drastiske tiltak må gjøres innen maritim transport for å redusere klimagassutslippene. Lindstad et al. har publisert en rekke artikler (Lindstad, 2013; Lindstad et al., 2011a; 2011b; 2012a; 2012b; 2013a; 2013b) som adresserer disse utfordringene i de senere år, der han har utviklet og benyttet flere modeller for motorkraft, utslipp og kostnader for ulike skipskategorier og størrelser. Vi har bygget en modell som implementerer og integrerer disse sub-modellene til en helhetlig pakke med integrert LCA funksjonalitet. Modellen undersøker implikasjoner på både enkeltfartøy og flåtenivå for fartsreduksjon scenarier, samt undersøker alternative, mer slanke skrogdesign for bulkskip. I LCA-segmentet ser vi og på aspektene av skipsbygging, skipsavvikling og oppstrømsutslipp fra drivstoffproduksjon. Resultatene våre bekrefter at modell fungerer som tiltenkt, og til validering av Lindstads resultater. Våre resultater viser at en reduksjon på kun en knop fra opprinnelig hastighet på alle fartøyer, er nok til å redusere årlige utslipp med over 7%. Det er og mulig å redusere utslipp opp til 19,7% uten ekstra kostnader. Fartsreduksjon og lavere blokk-koeffisient virker som lovende tiltak til å redusere CO2 utslipp fra den globale skipsflåten. Funn fra både eksisterende litteratur og våre egne funn i denne studien styrker denne påstanden. Hvordan disse tiltakene implementeres i praksis er opp til politikere og styrende organer. De står overfor en enorm utfordring i årene som kommer, med tanke på kompleksiteten og de mange aspektene som må tas stilling til ved å ta i bruk og utnytte disse tiltakene

Environmental impacts of protein-production from farmed seaweed: Comparison of possible scenarios in Norway

As the demand for proteins increases with growing populations, farmed seaweed is a potential option for use directly as an ingredient for food, feed, or other applications, as it does not require agricultural areas. In this study, a life cycle assessment was utilised to calculate the environmental performance and evaluate possible improvements of the entire value chain from production of sugar kelp seedings to extracted protein. The impacts of both technical- and biological factors on the environmental outcomes were examined, and sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted to analyse the impact of the uncertainty of the input variables on the variance of the environmental impact results of seaweed protein production. The current production of seaweed protein was found to have a global warming potential (GWP) that is four times higher than that of soy protein from Brazil. Further, of the 23 scenarios modelled, two resulted in lower GWPs and energy consumption per kg of seaweed protein relative to soy protein. These results present possibilities for improving the environmental impact of seaweed protein production. The most important variables for producing seaweed protein with low environmental impact are the source of drying energy for seaweed, followed by a high protein content in the dry matter, and a high dry matter in the harvested seaweed. In the two best scenarios modelled in this study, the dry matter content was 20% and the protein content 19.2% and 24.3% in dry matter. This resulted in a lower environmental impact for seaweed protein production than that of soy protein from Brazil. These scenarios should be the basis for a more environmental protein production in the future.publishedVersio

Navigating the early stages of a large sustainability-oriented rural tourism development project : lessons from Træna, Norway

This paper draws on data collected through multiple approaches and presents an exploration of the early stages of a large sustainability-oriented rural tourism development project. Through a streamlined qualitative analysis, the study revealed four tactical moves deployed in the early stages of the project. The moves include instilling project legitimacy, forging a support network, anchoring the project, and mobilising resources and capabilities. Further analysis revealed that these moves tend to reinforce each other, and thus they require concurrent implementation. Subsequently, the study develops a framework delineating drivers, enablers, challenges, and key success factors for navigating the early stages of a large sustainability-oriented rural tourism development project. Intriguingly, the study contradicts the path dependence perspective, which is often used in project management research. Instead, it suggests that the early stages of such projects require tactical path creation involving well-calculated actions that serve as a breeding ground for valuable random incidents. Keywords: rural tourism, destination development, sustainable tourism, sustainability-oriented project, project management, project early stagespublishedVersio

Strategic considerations for establishing a large-scale seaweed industry based on fish feed application: A Norwegian case study

Soy protein concentrate (SPC) is a key ingredient in fish feed and most of it originates from Brazil. However, the Brazilian soy industry has reportedly resulted in significant environmental problems including deforestation. Consequently, new sources for protein are investigated and protein extracted from farmed seaweed is considered an alternative. Therefore, we investigate how seaweed protein product (SPP) can compete against SPC as a protein ingredient for fish feed. The study uses the positioning matrix, cost analyses involving the power law, and uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo simulations, and key research challenges are identified. The initial finding is that, with the emerging seaweed industry, the cost of producing SPP is too high to be competitive for fish feed applications. To overcome this challenge, two solutions are investigated. First, substantial investments in cultivation and processing infrastructure are needed to accomplish scale, and a break-even scale of 65,000 tonnes is suggested. The second but more promising avenue, preferably in combination with the former, is the extraction of seaweed protein and high-value seaweed components. With mannitol and laminaran as co-products to the SPP, there is a 25–30% probability of a positive bottom line. Researches on extraction processes are therefore a necessity to maximize the extraction of value-added ingredients. Over time, it is expected that the competitive position of SPP will improve due to the upscaling of the volume of production as well as better biorefinery processes.publishedVersio

Environmental impacts of protein-production from farmed seaweed: Comparison of possible scenarios in Norway

As the demand for proteins increases with growing populations, farmed seaweed is a potential option for use directly as an ingredient for food, feed, or other applications, as it does not require agricultural areas. In this study, a life cycle assessment was utilised to calculate the environmental performance and evaluate possible improvements of the entire value chain from production of sugar kelp seedings to extracted protein. The impacts of both technical- and biological factors on the environmental outcomes were examined, and sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted to analyse the impact of the uncertainty of the input variables on the variance of the environmental impact results of seaweed protein production. The current production of seaweed protein was found to have a global warming potential (GWP) that is four times higher than that of soy protein from Brazil. Further, of the 23 scenarios modelled, two resulted in lower GWPs and energy consumption per kg of seaweed protein relative to soy protein. These results present possibilities for improving the environmental impact of seaweed protein production. The most important variables for producing seaweed protein with low environmental impact are the source of drying energy for seaweed, followed by a high protein content in the dry matter, and a high dry matter in the harvested seaweed. In the two best scenarios modelled in this study, the dry matter content was 20% and the protein content 19.2% and 24.3% in dry matter. This resulted in a lower environmental impact for seaweed protein production than that of soy protein from Brazil. These scenarios should be the basis for a more environmental protein production in the future