Procedia

Social and
Behavioral
Sciences
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Conference Title (Transport Research Arena Europe 2012)
"Eco innovative refitting technologies and processes for
shipbuilding industry: Project overview"
Francisco del Castillo
a,*
, Eduardo Blanco
b
, Peilin Zhou
b

a
Fundacin Centro Tecnologico SOERMAR, Avda Cardenal Herrera Oria 57, 28034 Madrid, Spain

b
University of Strathclyde, Henry Dyer Bldg., 100 Montrose St. Glasgow, G4 0LZ, United Kingdom

Abstract
This paper summarizes the key characteristics of the three year duration Collaborative R&D Project named Eco
innovative refitting technologies and processes for shipbuilding industry promoted by European Repair Shipyards,
in short Eco-REFITEC, which is being funded from the European Unions RTD 7
th
Framework.

The project started in J anuary 2011 with the purpose of develop and implement Eco-innovative Retrofitting processes
and Life Cycle Strategies in Repair Shipyards to Strength European competitiveness of the Shipbuilding Industry
and to reduce the environmental footprint of waterborne transport and operations.

Within the paper insights are given concerning the so called sticking points: The Value Analysis Methodology
adopted to develop and identify alternative and eco-innovative ways to perform future retrofitting jobs, the data base
of eco-innovation practices, the repair shipyard model and the LCA tool; which will be developed and that will be
used as a basis to test both the environmental shipyards and ships performance, and assess the pertinence of eco-
innovative solutions.

2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of TRA 2012

Keywords: Retrofit; Eco Innovation; Repair Shipyards; Management; Life Cycle; Enviroment; Processes; Design Tools.
1. Introduction
Shipping is a worldwide industry that requires a Global regulatory framework to operate efficiently. As
environmental impact of shipping and shipbuilding industry has been becoming more visible, the
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been developing measures to prevent or reduce pollution

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +34-91-5562700; fax:+34-91-5970078
E-mail address: francisco.delcastillo@soermar.com
2 "del Castillo,F. et al." / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
that oblige the existing fleet to be refitted and retrofitted in the shipyards. Ship owners and operators will
have to focus much more on adopting measures to prevent or reduce any type of pollution from ships, and
this will open up opportunities, especially for repair yards to carry out a new range of environment related
enhancement work.

In the other hand, European industry has to fulfill a wide range of ongoing increasing requirements in
the scope of environmental legislation and regulation, which defines a new framework for shipbuilding
where the environmental impact of ship repair and conversion processes, must be evaluated. Repair
shipyards have to respect national and international environmental laws because of open air working
conditions and high dependence on wasteful processes, which ultimately inflict pollution to air, water and
soil.

Therefore the European Shipyards and SMEs involved in the refit, repairs, and conversion of existing
ships (more than 400 companies smaller and bigger specialized repair shipyards), are nowadays facing
the big challenge of continually reducing the environmental footprint of waterborne transport and
operations.

The environmental protection requirements and increasing common understanding, force the necessity
of evaluating technological and innovative changes and environmental protective solutions, with reference
to particular shipyard processes and any ship retrofit case. A positive evaluation will lead to introducing
the appropriate changes in the shipyards, which will improve them: to prevent or reduce pollution from
their facilities and refit existing ships in the most environmental, effective and cost efficient way for
owners and operators. Technology to retrofit existing ships is essential to respond to potential future
requirements on pollution reduction.

The Collaborative Project (CP) Eco-REFITEC, presented in this paper, aims to develop evaluation
tools and simulations models needed for the strengthening of European Shipyard competitiveness, and to
demonstrate by specific retrofit application design studies the pertinence of eco-innovative solutions and
Life Cycle Strategies.

Nomenclature
D-2 Specific Regulation of IMOs International Convention of the Control and Management of
Ships Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004; which defines the standards of ballast water quality.
EU European Union
FAST Function Analysis Systems Technique
IMO International Maritime Organisation
IT Information Technologies
LCA Life Cycle Analysis
WSRA Waterborne Strategic Research Agenda
S&T Science and Technology
TP Technology Platform
del Castillo,F. et al./ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000 3
2. Eco-REFITEC project
2.1. Project Overview
Eco-REFITEC is a Small or medium-scale focused collaborative R&D project performed under the
aegis of the EU 7th FP under the Area SST (Sustainable Surface Transport), with a funding from the
European Commission of 2.5 M (3.6 M total budget). The project focuses in one of the key strategic
lines proposed by the EU, in agreement with the Waterborne TPs Vision 2020 and in particular with its
Strategic Research Agenda (WSRA): Strengthening European competitiveness through exploitation of the
potential of eco-innovation, both to protect the environment and to offer competitive advantage for those
which look at the possibility to create new markets.

The project coordinated by Fundacin Centro Tecnolgico SOERMAR merges the contribution of
13 European partners from 9 EU Member state: 3 European Repair Shipyards from Spain, Romania and
Portugal (Astander, SNC, ENP); 1 Shipbuilders and Ship repairers Association from the United Kingdom
(SSA); 3 Universities from UK (SU), Romania (OUC CAES) and Lithuania (KU); 4 top Research
institutions from Spain (SOERMAR), Poland (CTO), Portugal (ISQ) and Bulgaria (VSTU), 1 software
developer (AES) from Germany and 1 owner company (CONS.A.R)

The inputs for the project can be summarized as follows: the wide range of industrial requirements in
the scope of environmental legislation and regulations that repair shipyards have to fulfill; the IMO
developed measures to prevent pollution from existing ships; the eco-innovative positive experiences in
others industrial sectors; the existing simulations models and management tools; the current European
ship repair practice and expertise, and the results of previous EU funded projects such as: SHIPMATES,
EFTCOR, ECOPAINT, ECOLOGICAL DOCK, FCSHIP, DE-LIGHT, BESST,

2.2. Concepts and objectives
Eco-REFITEC intends to support repair shipyards and ship operators to perform a refitting of the
existing fleet through technological development and new tools, helping shipping benchmarking their
performance, improving the retrofit processes and products, and assessing environmental and life cycle
cost impact.

Main objectives of the project are:

Evaluate the introduction of eco-innovative processes, materials and modules in the repair and
conversion and retrofit of ships.
Support implementation of current and impending regulatory emission and pollution reduction
measures in existing vessels
Develop a life cycle view: including assessment of cost, safety, and environmental impact
Emission assessment through IT tools on the planning stage of particular ship repair, retrofit, and
conversion
To develop a specialized package tools for enabling the involvement of SMEs in eco-innovation.

4 "del Castillo,F. et al." / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
3. Project implementation
3.1. Eco-REFITEC Methodology
The ECO_REFITEC project consist of 6 inter-dependent Work Packages composed of S&T tasks. The
schematic representation of these WPs together with the main flows is shown in Figure 1.

WP1 analyze Shipyard Opportunities & Challenges regarding greening existing fleet.
WP2 include the development of a Data Base of eco innovative processes, materials and modules that
might be of relevance to improving the performance of ship repair Industry, especially to address the
future retrofit activities to be carried out in all range size shipyards.
WP3 contains among others, the task focusing on the development of a design tool for evaluation and
management of eco-innovation retrofit process with parameters describing the influence of particular
technological operations on the contamination of air, water and soil.
WP4 is mainly a demonstration activity planned in the project with the aim of developing test
protocols and verifying the performance of innovative technologies within the repair shipyard for ship
retrofitting. In this work package will be assessed the skill required in a near future as well.
WP5 is a demonstration activity too, but focused in the life cycle of the ship. WP5 will analyze the
shipyard product in a life cycle approach and will validate the retrofit impact on ship operation.
WP6 is the work package for the dissemination and exploitation of the project results.

Case 4 Case 3 Case 2 Case 1
WP1. Shipyards opportunities & challenges regarding greening existing fleet.
Setting technical and environmental objectives for different cases studies
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WP4. Shipyards Management of Eco innovative retrofitting process.
Eco innovativeretrofitting process selection for different cases studies:
Technical, economical, and environmental viability analysis in Repair Shipyards
WP5. Life cycle cost impact of greening of existing vessels.
LCAValidation for ship cases studies
WP6. Dissemination and exploitation of the project results.

Fig. 1. Eco-REFITEC Main Flow
However, an almost traditional phased approach is being used to achieve the specific Eco-REFITEC
goals (five stages).
del Castillo,F. et al./ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000 5
3.1.1. Initiation Phase: Information / Knowledge acquisition

In this initial stage (already finished), the key element was to define in the best possible way the ship
retrofit environment and the internal and external factors affecting the shipyards business. Thats the
reason why different analysis and surveys were planned among others the following:

Analysis of IMO current and pending environmental requirements for new and existing ships
Analysis of Regional Base Surveys of fleet calling at EU ports.
Detailed analysis of the EU directives emission standards for activities carried out in shipyards
Owner Survey to known how they are facing the challenge of retrofitting projects in their fleets.
Shipyards Surveys to get information regarding the available infrastructure, yard capabilities and
expertise, project management strategies, etc and to map the threats and weakness to be faced by them
regarding technological, economic and environmental issues.

The key objectives of this phase were mainly two:
To identify the technical performance and economical issues to be addressed in a shipyard, in order to
carry out the retrofit in accordance with current and foreseen regulations; See Eco-REFITEC public
deliverables D1.1, D1.2 and D1.3 in www.eco-refitec.eu.
To identify technological eco-innovations (processes, materials and modules) that might be of
relevance to improve the performance of the ship repair industry, especially while addressing the
future retrofit activities to be carried out in small & medium size shipyards.
3.1.2. Design Phase: Design of cases studies and conceptual tools definition.

On the basis of the results of the previous stage and taking also into account the most significant types
of vessels from the point of view of their environmental impact and also Eco-REFITEC shipyards / ship-
owners sector of interests; during the second stage were defined the principal types of vessels in which
Eco-REFITEC will focus (a long chemical tanker, a traditional Platform Support Vessel, a Bulk Carrier,
and two GRP small Purse Seiners ) and the cases studies were establish.

Moreover, during the 2
nd
Stage is also being defined:

the Value Analysis approach to be used within WP2 to analyze the technological eco-innovations
(processes, materials and modules) that might be of relevance to improve the performance of the ship
repair Industry, especially to address the future retrofit activities to be carried out in small & medium
size shipyards;
The eco-innovations data base structure;
The toolkit specification requirements for the development of an innovative tool able to provide
process details (emissions, consumptions, etc.) to establish a thorough and realistic assessment of
environmental and economical life-cycle effects. In this stage, the shipyards operations parameters for
environmental assessment of ship repair processes were identified.
3.1.3. Execution Phase: Data base and tools development

During the execution phase, the Eco-Innovation Data Base and the Innovative IT supported tools will
be developed for retrofit impact evaluation on the ships life cycle economy, energy, environmental
6 "del Castillo,F. et al." / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
performance, and safety. Both based on careful assessment of currently available capabilities, and in
close relation with future retrofit work.

The IT software prototype will count with two integrated modules: the production simulations one and
the LCA tool. The first one will focus on shipyard production related aspects of the LCA; and the second
will focus on ship operation related aspects, as well as an overall combined Life Cycle Assessment.

Through Life Cycle Assessment methodology, data gathering for common retrofitting and ship
operation processes will be performed, in order to account for specific shipyard and ship operation
processes not available in current impact assessment databases and by combining this information to
provide a holistic assessment approach.

For each process, assessment and documentation of environmental parameters will attempt to include
information relevant to resource depletion and environmental emissions. Software prototype tools will
provide functions to determine the environmental and economic performance using an advanced
simulation method. This will enable stakeholders to determine the ecological and economic feasibility of
a retrofitting project.
3.1.4. Validation Phase: Tool Assessment through the case studies

Once the value analysis of the candidate eco-innovation technologies (process, materials and modules)
is completed, shipyards and ship owners will be able to select the eco-innovative processes, materials and
modules to carry out the retrofit work of the case studies.

After the completion of a preliminary version (alpha version) of the software prototype, shipyards and
ship owners will start reviewing and testing the new software through the case studies, and the selected
eco-innovative technologies in order for the new tool to be used to:

Provide Repair & Conversion Shipyards and ship-owners with example data of Business model that
will allow them to make environmental asset decisions in the future.
Assess the environmental management of new eco-practices
To evaluate the effect in the life cycle of the ship of the technological eco-innovations considered, for
each case studied where a retrofitting will be carried out.
To evaluate the environmental performance of case ships in terms of cost, energy, consumption and
environmental impact.
Provide indications of compliance with IMO and EU environmental performance requirement.

A part of the above, also assessed during the validation phase will be the skills and technologies
required to sustain the eco-innovative tools developed, and the integration of environmental strategies and
practices into the ship repair industry management systems.
3.1.5. Final Phase: Dissemination & Training

Finally, the last stage of the project will include the results dissemination and training.

In this stage, the commercial exploitation of Eco-REFITEC outputs, including methodologies, content
and delivery services in the European Market will also be explored.
del Castillo,F. et al./ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000 7
3.2. Eco-REFITEC Sticking Points
The Eco-REFITEC sticking points are:

The Value Analysis Technique conducted under the scope of the WP2 to identify eco-innovative
processes, materials or modulus.
The Data Base of eco innovative retrofitting practices that will be ready to share and make available all
the technological Eco-Innovations developed during the project.
The new LCA tool dedicated to retrofitting solutions for the environment to be developed in the WP3
Cases Studies that will be applied across ship repair activities in order to develop eco-innovative
technologies to comply with new IMO and EU regulations.
3.2.1. Value Analysis Technique in Eco-Innovation.

The Value Analysis methodology aims at optimizing processes, materials or modulus through the
development of alternative ways to provide the required functions associated with it at lower cost or with
less environmental impacts.

In the Eco-REFITEC project this technique will be applied for the hottest topics concerning the ship
retrofit in the field of processes, materials and new equipments required.

To allow for its effectiveness, this technique shall be conducted under a systematic approach
accordingly with Figure 2.


Fig. 2. Value Analysis stages.
The Value Analysis concerns how well the process, material or module used performs its function
divided by the cost of the item. The value of a function is defined as its worth divided by its cost, where
worth determination is the most challenging steps in the Value Analysis.

Value =Worth / Cost.

The worth of a function will be defined as the lowest cost necessary to perform the function, and will
be obtained by comparing the costs associated with the alternate methods that are able to perform the
function in analysis.

8 "del Castillo,F. et al." / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
The determination of the value that is associated with each function allows the identification of the
lowest value functions within each product. Connections between the identified functions will be depicted
through the use of a methodology known as Function Analysis Systems Technique, or FAST, which
enable the identification of opportunities for improvement (Innovative alternatives).

Once different alternatives are identified for accomplishing the needed functions, a final evaluation
will be made by weighing each alternative against a set of defined criteria/objectives. Attention should be
drawn to all aspects that can be influenced by the implementation of the alternatives, e.g. technological,
environmental impacts, time, skilled labour and costs.

Since different criteria are often associated with different grades of importance, some of them shall
have greater influence in the final decision than others. Hence, each criterion should also be ranked from
1 to 10, with the highest number being given to the most relevant aspects.

The final numerical rating for each alternative will be then attained by multiplying the weight factor
times the rank. It should be noted that in order to rank the alternatives, each of them should be compared
with the item that is presently used to accomplish the function concerned. In the theoretical example
given in Table 1, each of alternatives is being compared with sand.
Table 1. Comparison example between different blast media in dry-blasting processes.
Objectives Criteria (and Rank from1 to 10)
Weight for each Alternative (*)

Cost
( 8 )
Air
Quality
(10)
Working
Conditions
(6)
FINAL
Ranking Value
Cooper slag 2 3 4 2 x 8 +3 x 10 +4 x 6 =70
Steel Shot 1 5 5 1 x 8 +5 x 10 +4 x 6 =88
AluminumGrit 1 4 5 1 x 8 +4 x 10 +4 x 6 =78
(*) Weight Criteria: 1- Poor; 2 Fair; 3 Average; 4 Good; 5 Superior
Note: The ranking factors for each objective criterion shall be defined using appropriate algorithms and
shall be validated using reference practices.
3.2.2. Data Base of eco innovative retrofitting practices

One of the main objectives of the project is to share and make available all the technological Eco-
Innovations developed during the project.

With this objective in mind, a Data base of eco-innovation retrofitting practices, embedded in a web
based application, is being developed within the project.

In the first stage, it was necessary to create a draft of the database, considering the necessities of the
end-users which shall benefit from the existing information as well as from the tools embedded in it. With
this aim a survey was carried out for understanding what the Industry need.

del Castillo,F. et al./ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000 9
3.2.3. Tools

WP3 contains among others, the task of focusing on the development of a design tool for evaluation
and management of eco-innovation retrofit process, with parameters describing the influence of particular
technological operations on the contamination of air, water and soil. The decision-supporting and
production planning tools will be analysed, and their potential application within the intended
Environment Protection Management System will be assessed.

Elaborated IT model will serve as a decision supporting tool, enhancing the retrofit selection of
alternative cleaner technologies, materials and equipment. It will assist shipyards to meet the
environmental standards, while additionally allowing for the estimation of the associated cost of the ship
retrofit. The objective is to assist shipyards to plan retrofitting activities, while assessing compliance of
their processes with the rules, as well as pointing out activities which might require slight modification or
serious changes.

In addition, the Life Cycle assessment module will help to evaluate the ship retrofit impact on ship life
cycle economy, energy, environmental performance and safety thought the use of eco innovative
processes, materials and modules. The tools proposed will be compliant with ISO 14044 LCA standards,
while abiding by relevant EU directives and appropriate regulations for effective and upcoming
requirements for the ship industry.

The development of the Eco-REFITEC toolkit, will allow retrofitting on existing ships to start to play
a larger role in Life Cycle Strategies and also to minimize shipyard retrofitting footprint.
3.2.4. Case Studies

A set of case studies shall be applied across ship repair activities in order to develop eco-innovative
technologies with a neutral environmental impact to comply with the new IMO regulations.

The research and the specific retrofit application design studies developed in this project will help to
determine cost effective solutions at least in the following areas: Emission control and Ballast water
management.

As an example, take into consideration various ballast water treatment alternatives proposed for
compliance to IMOs Regulation D-2, as an existing vessel retrofit option. Through the use of the
innovative production management tool proposed, data recollection for specific processes associated to
the retrofit option will take place, in order to integrate and complement following Life Cycle Assessments
to weight the different alternatives.

Each alternative can be specifically evaluated in relative terms associated with current environmental
impact criteria, and also by means of quantified parameters such as kilograms of mass on resources
consumed, and emissions released to the environment, for example.

Through the LCA methodology, the most environmentally friendly option can be assessed.
Additionally, cost-benefit analysis can be performed on all alternatives, and reasonably compared to
aggregate environmental results; this last in order to summarize and account for a better overall option
from a cost-efficient and environmental stand point.
10 "del Castillo,F. et al." / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 00 (2011) 000000
The true benefit of the application will come from providing ship repairers or operators with a tool to
aid in the keen selection of a process or product, in order to favor the least environmental burdensome
alternative, while additionally being able to assess the cost-effectiveness of each option. These last could
take place through the life cycle of the retrofit, or even through the life cycle of the vessel, including
operational parameters, after the retrofit alternative has taken place.
4. Final Considerations
Meeting new requirements of environmental protection resulting from tightening of the law is a great
challenge for shipyards because two kinds of aspects are valid when the decision is to be taken:
environmental considerations and business considerations. The best solution for shipyards and ship
owners will be to find a balance between these two considerations, and ECOREFITEC is aiming to
provide useful tools to help reach this goal. The key asset of life cycle management will be the way to
prove compliance with environmental objectives.

Eco-REFITEC expects to provide a significant progress in application of Information Technologies in
the Repair Shipyards, enabling novel methods, tools, and products.

Eco-REFITEC expects also to contribute to sustain the competitiveness for the European maritime
industry. The knowledge to be acquired with this initiative should provide greater clarity, better
measurement and management too, so that ultimately environmental impact from waterborne transport
emissions will be partially mitigated through eco-innovative retrofitted practices.

Moreover, this project should provide policy-makers with information base, tools and guidelines to
support the development of new requirements for existing fleet based on ship life cycle improvement.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their gratitude for funding provided by the EC. The research leading to
these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-
2013] under grant agreement n [266268].
The authors also wish to thank their colleagues on the Eco-REFITEC project for their contribution in
special to Thomas Koch (AES), Marco Antonio Estrela (ISQ), Eden Mamut (CAES-UOC), Marta Walk
(CTO) & Rima Mickeviciene (KU).
References
Eco-REFITEC Deliverables and project information. www.eco-refitec.eu

WATERBORNE TP (2011). Strategic Research Agenda (WSRA-2011). www.waterborne-tp.org

WATERBORNE TP (2008). Vision 2020. www.waterborne-tp.org

West Virginia Department of Transportation: Value Engineering Manual, 2004

Wixson, R., James, CVS, CMfgE: Function Analysis and Decomposistion using Function Analysis
Systems Technique, Lockheed-Martin Idaho Technologies Company, Inc.