The boating industry wants to become more sustainable. While a large area of innovation in the market is focused on environmentally friendly propulsion systems, boat builders are interested in making the individual components of a boat recyclable as well.
At the blue innovation dock at boot Düsseldorf, Fabio Bignolini (nlcomp, Co-founder & CEO), Paolo Dassi (Bcomp, Marine and industry manager), Friedrich Deimann (GREENBOATS Technologies, Founder & CEO), Elke Demeyer (Centexbel, Research Scientist), Thomas Wegman (AOC Resins / EuCIA, Marketing Manager EMEA) and Santino Wist (RWTH Aachen University, Research Assistant) presented the alternatives for conventional GRP (glass fiber reinforced plastics) and other plastics.
The speakers agreed that there are some attractive solutions to make boats from recyclable materials in the future. However, there is no universal method and material for all boats. Flax is a promising and, above all, robust material. It can replace conventional composite materials in many places, but it is not always an optimal substitute. Foils, for example, cannot be made from flax without increasing the weight of the individual components substantially. For racing boats, it is therefore, not a full alternative.
The potential uses of hemp, jute and basalt fibers are currently being tested by some manufacturers. In addition to bio-based materials, carbon fibers are frequently used in boat building, as are glass fibers. As an alternative to conventional synthetic resins, natural-based resins, as well as Thermoplast and Thermoflex, are available as matrix materials for composite construction.
One current challenge in boatbuilding based on novel fibers is price. Both carbon and flax composites are expensive. Few customers are willing to pay up to 20 percent more for a boat to be more sustainable. Boat builders and buyers would have to be convinced of the environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastics at the same time, according to speakers at the sustainability forum. To achieve this, manufacturers need to prove the trustworthiness of new materials on the one hand and show the possibilities they offer on the other. It also needs bold buyers to act as ambassadors for innovation.
In addition, the speakers agreed that European policymakers must also play their part in the development of the market. Without appropriate legislation that includes guidelines for boat builders, it is impossible for small companies to revolutionise the market.
