Thesis

Circular economy principles for the maritime industry : increased value extraction from end-of-life marine assets

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Creator
Rights statement
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2025
Thesis identifier
  • T17202
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202160578
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • The maritime industry, responsible for over 80% of global trade, lags behind othertransportation sectors in adopting circular economy (CE) principles, which areessential for enhancing sustainability and reducing environmental impact. This thesisaddresses this gap by developing a comprehensive circularity framework tailoredspecifically to the maritime industry, focusing on four key areas.First, it identifies the barriers to implementing CE practices in the maritime sectorthrough an extensive literature review and stakeholder engagement. By consolidatinginsights from surveys, interviews, and workshops, the study uncovers challenges suchas regulatory gaps, limited digital infrastructure, and a lack of awareness amongstakeholders. Moreover, it highlights the potential benefits of circular applicationssuch as remanufacturing, reuse, and recycling, drawing comparisons to more advancedCE practices in the aviation and automotive industries. These insights underscore theurgency for the maritime industry to embrace circularity to minimise waste and unlocknew revenue streams.Second, the thesis presents strategy and technology solutions suited to the uniqueoperational environment of the maritime industry. The solutions were developed basedon identified barriers and validated through case studies and best practices from majorOEMs. A case study on high-speed marine engine remanufacturing is provided todemonstrate the practical benefits of circular practices. The study shows thatremanufactured engines can deliver equivalent performance to new engines at nearly50% of the cost, offering significant financial savings while promoting sustainability.This real-world example illustrates the potential for circular practices to reduce costsand environmental impacts across the maritime sector.Third, the research introduces a first-of-its-kind digital database designed to bridge thevaluable equipment tracking and supply chain management gap. The developeddatabase supports a maritime-specific asset tracking system, facilitating fast andtransparent information flow between the stakeholders and providing foundations forasset tracking infrastructure and a robust reverse supply chain. Through its practicalxviiiapplication in a case study, the research demonstrated that this system could increasethe recovery value of end-of-life vessels by over 80%. The database also facilitates amaritime asset tracking (MAT) system, enabling enhanced transparency andcoordination in CE practices. This offers a critical tool for addressing the inefficienciesof reverse supply chains and supporting the industry's transition toward circularity andsustainability.Finally, the thesis develops 59 tailored circularity metrics specifically designed for themaritime industry. These metrics, refined from hundreds of existing metrics from theliterature, provide a comprehensive framework for maritime stakeholders to assess,monitor, and improve their circularity performance. Validated through stakeholderworkshops and tested in three shipyards, the metrics offer practical guidance onenhancing circularity efforts. The research findings provide a roadmap for integratingCE principles into the maritime sector, enabling stakeholders to track progress, sharebest practices, and drive the transition towards a more sustainable and resourceefficient industry.This thesis, therefore, represents the first comprehensive maritime circularityframework. By addressing gaps in knowledge, proposing tailored solutions, andvalidating findings through empirical evidence, it offers actionable strategies to helpthe industry meet its sustainability goals and thrive in a circular economy.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Kurt, R. E.
  • Gunbeyaz, Sefer Anil
Resource Type
DOI

Relations

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details PDF of thesis T17202 2025-08-14 Public Download
file details File 2025-06-13 Private