Borealis and AKVA Group Launch World’s First Renewable Plastic Workboat Hull, Redefining Aquaculture Sustainability

Borealis and AKVA Group Launch World’s First Renewable Plastic Workboat Hull, Redefining Aquaculture Sustainability

(IN BRIEF) Borealis and AKVA Group have collaborated to introduce a groundbreaking innovation in sustainable aquaculture: the world’s first workboat hull crafted from renewable plastic. Utilizing Borealis’ Bornewables™ range of renewable polyolefins, AKVA Group’s iconic Polarcirkel series now boasts a substantially reduced carbon footprint while maintaining exceptional performance standards. The hull, composed of Borealis BorSafe™ HE3490-LS-HW grade with 90% renewable content, signifies a significant stride towards circularity in marine technology. This milestone reflects a joint commitment to driving progress towards a circular economy, with plans to expand the partnership to cover more sustainable workboat components and floating aquaculture constructions. The initiative aligns with a broader industry shift towards renewable materials, underscoring a pivotal moment in the quest for environmentally responsible aquaculture practices.

(PRESS RELEASE) VIENNA, 27-Mar-2024— /EuropaWire/ — Borealis and AKVA group are pleased to announce a breakthrough in sustainable aquaculture: a workboat hull constructed from renewable plastic. The boat will be unveiled in Mo i Rana, Norway, in Spring 2024, marking a significant step forward for circularity in marine technology.

Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. AKVA group is the world’s foremost technology provider to the aquaculture industry.

The iconic Polarcirkel™ series is known for its practical design, exceptional reliability, and unmatched safety. Used in a wide range of industries, including fish farming, oil and gas, rescue, defense, Arctic tours, and recreational boating, these vessels can endure some of the most challenging conditions on the planet, from -40°C in Arctic regions to +55°C in the tropics.

Using Borealis’ Bornewables™ portfolio of renewable polyolefins, AKVA group can now offer these boats with a substantially reduced carbon footprint. Derived from renewable sources such as used cooking oil, the Bornewables offer the same material performance as virgin plastics, yet decoupled from fossil-based feedstock.

The hull is made from Borealis BorSafe™ HE3490-LS-HW grade, which is composed of 90% renewable content based on a Mass Balance approach. For every kilogram of polyolefin produced, this grade achieves an estimated reduction of 1.9kg of CO2 equivalent emissions when compared to a fossil-based equivalent.[1]

AKVA group has also taken sustainability a step further, transporting materials to Mo i Rana by train to minimize the transportation carbon footprint.

These measures represent clear and measurable progress towards reducing climate impact and establishing a circular economy. In the near future, the partnership between Borealis and AKVA group is set to expand to cover a wider range of workboat components as well as floating aquaculture constructions made of pipes.

“The aquaculture industry is poised for a circular transformation, and we’re excited to lead the charge with the help of Borealis. Our first priority will always be the safety of the people on board our vessels, and it’s remarkable that this can now be achieved just as effectively with a much smaller carbon footprint,” says Freddy Bakken Braseth, General Manager of the AKVA group department in Mo i Rana.

“We’re committed to supporting our customers to move away from traditional feedstock and to embrace renewable materials,” explains John Webster, Borealis Global Commercial Director Infrastructure. “The use of the Bornewables in Polarcirkel affirms that high-performance standards can be met sustainably. This move is a significant step forward in our EverMinds mission to accelerate the transformation to a circular economy – with this we put reinventing essentials for sustainable living into full action.”

[1] A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, conducted according to ISO14040:2006 and ISO14044:2006 standards, was carried out to assess the environmental impact of producing the BornewablesTM polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). The study compared the potential footprint of Bornewables materials produced at sites in Sweden, Finland and Belgium using both steam cracker and propane dehydrogenation processes, with that of equivalent polyolefins derived from fossil feedstocks at the sites.

About Borealis
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. In Europe, Borealis is also an innovative leader in polyolefins recycling and a major producer of base chemicals. We leverage our polymer expertise and decades of experience to offer value-adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries such as consumer products, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and mobility.

With customers in over 120 countries and head office in Vienna, Austria, Borealis employs around 6,000 people. In 2023, we generated a net profit of EUR 216 million. OMV, the integrated energy, fuels & feedstock and chemicals & materials company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, owns 75% of our shares. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), owns the remaining 25%.

In re-inventing essentials for sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people, innovation and technology, and performance excellence. We are accelerating the transformation to a circular economy of polyolefins and expanding our geographical footprint to better serve our customers around the globe. Our operations are augmented by two important joint ventures: Borouge (with ADNOC, headquartered in the UAE); and Baystar™ (with TotalEnergies, based in the US).
www.borealisgroup.com | www.borealiseverminds.com

About AKVA group
AKVA group is the world’s largest supplier of solutions and services to aquaculture. Driven by passion, commitment and a deep understanding of the complexity in our industry, we can solve the most advanced challenges at sea and on land. We are present in all the world’s markets with offices in 11 countries and employees from 39 nationalities.

Media Contacts:

Borealis Group:
Virginia Wieser, Lena Lehner, Karin Schober
Tel: +43 1 22 400 899 (Vienna, Austria)
E-mail: media@borealisgroup.com

AKVA Group:
Ståle Økland
Communications Director, AKVA group
Tel: +47 90 85 50 86
E-mail: sokland@akvagroup.com

SOURCE: Borealis AG