Workboat Hull Crafted from Renewable Plastics

Borealis and Akva group have reported a breakthrough in sustainable aquaculture — a workboat hull constructed from renewable plastic. 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.

Iconic boat design

The iconic Polarcirkel vessels are known for their practical design, reliability, and safety. Used in a range of industries, including fish farming, oil and gas, rescue, defense, Arctic tours, and recreational boating, the boats can endure some of the harshest conditions on the planet, from -40°C in Arctic regions to 55°C in the tropics.

Renewables-based bimodal HDPE 

Using Borealis’ 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, Bornewables offer the same material performance as virgin plastics while being 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 1.9 kg of CO2-equivalent emissions when compared with a fossil-based material. While Borealis did not provide PlasticsToday with details on the conversion process used to manufacture the hull, the analogous fossil-fuel-derived BorSafe material is a pipe grade.

Partnership set to expand

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,” said Freddy Bakken Braseth, general manager of the Akva group department in Mo i Rana, Norway.

“We’re committed to supporting our customers to move away from traditional feedstock and to embrace renewable materials,” explained 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 mission to accelerate the transformation to a circular economy — with this we put reinventing essentials for sustainable living into full action.”