GREENLIFE4SEAS stems from the urgent need to find sustainable solutions for two major environmental concerns: the fate of 200 million m³ of sediments, often contaminated, dredged annually in the EU, and the disposal of 490,000 tons/year of shells, which represent one of the most impactful EU aquaculture wastes.
GREENLIFE4SEAS aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility, full safety, and commercial viability of breakthrough solutions for in-situ recovery and reuse of dredged harbour sediments and shells, used as secondary raw materials for the creation of sustainable by-products through an optimised mixing technology.
The project is based on three main pillars:
The realisation, at real scale, of four innovative by-products (shell powder, paving blocks, breakwaters, stabilised mass) for the building sector, mainly made by reusing shells and dredged sediments (after decontamination, if polluted), and produced directly in-situ through an original mixing technology.
The development of a sound and viable business model for in-situ collection and treatment of mussel shells and dredged sediments, based on a prototype mobile plant (GL4S) that produces the new by-products.
The overcoming of regulatory barriers through the definition of a specific authorisation protocol for the reuse of dredged sediments in engineering applications, such as the pilot by-products realised within GREENLIFE4SEAS.
GREENLIFE4SEAS is carried out by a triple-helix model of consortium, where synergy among research capitalisation, industrial symbiosis, and governmental partners as primary stakeholders is the key to innovation and sustainable growth in a knowledge-based economy.
The results of GREENLIFE4SEAS will contribute concretely to improving EU environmental policy on waste management, circular blue economy, and aquaculture.
Call:
LIFE-2022-SAP-ENV
Ruolo del Politecnico:
Coordinator
Responsabile scientifico del Politecnico:
Prof.ssa Claudia Vitone (DICATECH)
SSD:
ICAR/07 – Geotecnica
Sito web:
https://greenlife4seas.poliba.it