The maritime industry is turning to new-generation material technologies to comply with circular economy principles. Natural Fibre Reinforced Polymers (NFRP) offer significant environmental advantages such as both low energy consumption during the production process and biodegradability or recyclability at the end of life. The TEcoNaut Project plays an important role in this transformation process to accelerate the marine industry’s adaptation to green materials.
Conventional glass fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRP) have a limited future in terms of sustainability due to the difficulty of recycling and high carbon emissions. In contrast, natural fibre composites combined with biobased resins have a lower carbon footprint and offer environmentally friendly alternatives. For example, castor oil and furan-based resins have been shown to have the potential to improve the mechanical performance of NFRPs while reducing their environmental impact.
TEcoNaut aims to create a production ecosystem in line with the European Green Deal by aiming to expand the integration of natural fibre and bio-based resin in shipyards. Green Transformation Strategy is at the forefront of the TEcoNaut Project.
Promoting the Use of NFRP in Shipyards: It aims to share the advantages of natural fibre composites compared to traditional GFRP materials with the industry by cooperating with shipyards in Europe and around the world.
Training and Skills Development Programmes: Training programmes are being developed to familiarise maritime workers and the next generation of engineers with NFRP materials and their applications.
Recycling and Circular Economy Models: By integrating biobased resins into waste management and recycling processes, it aims to create a fully circular economy model in the maritime sector.
