Co-processing old boats with cement may help decrease CO2 emissions
As any regular reader of MIN will know, end-of-life boats, and what to do with them, is a pressing issue. Old craft are littered not only around the UK shores – MIN reported on fibreglass being found in fresh seafood earlier this summer around the south coast – but also across the world. Various schemes are in place in different countries (in the USA, $7.5m has been earmarked to remove abandoned and neglected boats from the nation’s waterways).
But now, a new report is suggesting that each ton of EoL (end of life) composite waste treated in a cement facility saves up to 1 ton of CO2 compared to traditional waste incineration methods.
The report’s commissioners are nine industry associations. One of those is the European Boating Industry (EBI), and it’s keen for policymakers to sit up and take notice. Earlier this year, members of the group issued a preliminary statement highlighting the important role cement co-processing can play in treating end-of-life composite materials.
‘With the publication of this report, our associations call on the decision-makers to recognise cement co-processing as a recycling process for its mineral fraction,’ says the EBI statement.
‘This recognition would be highly beneficial, accelerating the adoption of this existing solution to process EoL composites and fostering the development of a sustainable waste collection system for EoL composites.
‘Having such a collection system in place will pave the way for other circular technology solutions that currently lack the necessary waste stream visibility to attract the public and private investments needed for expansion.’
Continue reading MIN‘s latest news on end-of-life vessels.
The life cycle assessment report by SGS INTRON explores the environmental impacts of treating glass fibre-reinforced thermoset composites (used in automotive, construction, wind and recreational boating sectors) by co-processing in a cement facility.
Seemingly, the process avoids emissions from waste incineration (approximately 500kg of CO2 per ton of EoL composites) and reduces emissions from cement production by approximately 330kg CO2 per ton of EoL composites. This results in an average combined emission saving of 830kg CO2. The calculated savings are weighted averages for various compositions of EoL. This means that, depending on the material composition, the actual saving can vary from 560kg up to 1,130kg CO2.
In addition, there are two other significant benefits. The first is that there’s a reduced need for virgin raw materials, as the glass fibre fraction of EoL composite is recovered. Secondly, there’s efficient recovery of the energy content from the resin fraction, which means a reduced need for fossil energy sources.
‘Our associations continue to collaborate in support of all sustainable recycling solutions for EoL composite materials. Together we call on EU policymakers to help build a supply chain for circular solutions to treat EoL composites,’ says EBI.
Main image courtesy of Boatbreakers.
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