Towards a circular maritime industry : identifying strategy and technology solutions

Shipping is considered one of the most energy-efficient modes, considering the amount of cargo that can be carried. On the other hand, the circular economy approach is not well-established in the maritime industry, which currently lags behind different transport modes. The maritime industry needs scientific support to “close the loop”, minimise waste and increase the revenue stream. Therefore, this study aims to address a critical gap in the maritime industry by first showing the understanding of the stakeholders and identifying suitable strategy and technology solutions that can fit the characteristics of the maritime industry. Moreover, the potential benefits of these solutions have been demonstrated through high-speed marine engine remanufacturing. A cost-benefit analysis has shown that remanufactured engine acquisition cost is nearly half of the cost of a new engine with similar operating performance and operating cost. This study is a novel contribution to maritime industry stakeholders to demonstrate the advantages of circular end-of-life applications

An approach to advance circular practices in the maritime industry through a database as a bridging solution

The concept of maritime circularity has gained increasing attention to address challenges arising from the net-zero targets of the maritime industry. The circular economy provides potential solutions to address these challenges through reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling practices. However, the industry faces complex challenges, including inefficient reverse supply chains, a lack of awareness about circular economy principles, standardisation issues, and the need for digital infrastructure to provide vital information in the sector. These challenges prevent the implementation of circularity practices, as access to crucial data throughout the vessel’s life cycle is obstructed. This novel research aims to create a robust first-of-its-kind database solution specifically designed to support the industry’s shift towards circularity. The database will facilitate fast and transparent information flow between the stakeholders, providing foundations for asset tracking and a robust reverse supply chain. A case study was conducted to show that a database could help extract higher financial value from end-of-life ships by over 80%. The ageing fleet increases the urgency of utilising such a database, which could be a pivotal strategy for a sustainable and circular industry. This digital solution offers significant benefits to all industry stakeholders and allows holistic resource management, influencing maritime operations’ sustainability, resilience, and profitability

Circular economy approach in the maritime industry : barriers and the path to sustainability

The maritime industry lags behind other transportation sectors in the circular economy (CE) approaches and sustainability. Circularity is not well-established in the maritime, and there is a need to “close the loop” to minimise waste and increase the revenue stream. Although recycling contributes significantly to reducing the demand for raw materials, a significant number of parts and equipment from ships are currently underutilized. Therefore, this study aims to; i) identify the barriers to the successful implementation of CE principles in the maritime, ii) reveal the potential benefits of circular applications (6R), iii) briefly present remanufacturing environments in the aviation and automotive industries, and then iv) investigate the current situation and future potential in the maritime through industry investigation, stakeholder interviews and a structured questionnaire