Cons.A.R. - Italian Shipowner's Research Consortium

FULL TITLE
ECO-REFITEC

DURATION
36 months (3 years)
Start Date: January 2011

Eco-refitec is an European project, approved under the third call of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community. Cons.ar is one of its participants.
The project involves European shipyards as well as organizations working in construction, repair and recycling of ships. The main objectives declared by the project are the following:

• Identify and evaluate new technologies for retrofit processes which result to be more suitable to the achievement of a more efficient and environmentally friendly maritime transport;
• Compile a list of technologies and solutions to meet the future retrofits IMO standards;
• Provide tools and guidance to legislators to support the development of new requirements for the existing fleet;
• Develop tools to increase the competitiveness of European shipyards and companies involved in of construction and repair processes;
• Assist shipyards through the update on the new limits imposed by international regulations on GHG emissions and environmental impact.

During the project, Cons.a.r. will be engaged in multiple activities. First of all a legislative review on current relevant international standards in the field of retrofit: in particular we will analyze what has been produced for what concern ship's exhaust gas emissions (MARPOL Annex VI) and the treatment of ballast water (International Convention for the Control and Management of Ballast Water and Sediments). Following this analysis and a survey on the European fleet, we will make an identification of non-compliance currently present and of changes to be made to ensure compliance with the standards set by the legislation.
We will then contribute in the detailed analysis of processes, materials and systems for the retrofit of vessels: in this case, our attention will focus more on issues of exhaust gas and ballast water treatment. This bulk of information will be collected in a single database.
Cons.a.r. will work to develop a Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool for retrofit that could be of support and guidance to all actors involved in the process.

Next Project Meeting is fixed for 6th September 2011 @ SSA Headquarters in London.

• Fundacion Centro Tecnologico SOERMAR (Spain);
• Centrum Techniki Okretowej Spolka Akcyjna CTO (Poland);
• Universitatea Ovidius Constanta CAES-UOC (Romania);
• Atlantec Enterprise Solutions Gmbh AES (Germany);
• University of Strathclyde SU (UK);
• Varna Scientific and Technical Unions VTSU (Bulgaria);
• Klaipeidos Universitetas KU (Lithuania);
• Shpibuilders and Shiprepairer Association SSA (UK);
• Instituto de Saldadura e Qualidade ISQ (Portugal);
• Astilleros de Santander SA ASTANDER (Spain);
• Estaleiros Navais de Peniche S.A. ENP (Portugal);
• Lietuvos Statybininku Asociacija LLSRA (Lithuania);
• Consorzio Armatori per la Ricerca CONS.A.R. (Italy);
• SNC Ship Design SRL SNCSD (Romania).