The EcoShipYard (ESY) project is an ambitious project that aims to promote sustainable shipbuilding practices and material circularity in the EU. It does so by developing solutions that reduce a shipyard’s environmental impact, increase energy efficiency, and optimize operations. The project will also measure and reduce non-operational impacts of vessels themselves, that is during their construction, repair, retrofitting, and dismantling.  

As task leader, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) plays a pivotal role in ESY Task 3.1, analysing, identifying and structuring environmental impact factors of shipyard processes. Environmental impact factors include energy consumption, solid waste and scraps, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from solvent-based paints, coatings and noise. 

To do this, it will first conduct a detailed analysis of the shipbuilding, retrofit, and dismantling processes and resources themselves. 

Secondly, it will apply process patterns already developed in projects like SMARTYards and ECO-REFITEC that can help in developing similar ESY practices that increase efficiency, optimise operations and reduce environmental impacts. 

Lastly, the NTUA will develop the tools identifying environmental impacts of typical procedures and formulate the first requirements towards the ESY platform designed to help shipyards assess and manage their environmental impacts more effectively. This platform will address the needs, challenges and the workflow of end users, making it user-friendly and effective.  

The primary outcome of this task is a detailed identification and understanding of environmental impacts linked to building, retrofitting and dismantling of ships. This lays the groundwork for establishing the quantitative values of environmental impacts of typical processes and resources.

Co-funded by the European Union. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101138730.