Recently, the first phase report of ELMWIND Project was released, which was commissioned by Zero Waste Scotland and conducted by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. Offshore wind is a crucial source of renewable energy for Scotland. To achieve the Government’s 2030 target of 11GW of offshore wind capacity, the energy infrastructure has been rapidly growing. This means that by 2050, tons of materials could emerge from the decommissioning of between 161 and 492 turbines.

This report provides opportunities for the supply chain in designing solutions to tackle this circular economy challenge. Done properly, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ~34%, limit the amount of raw materials that need to be recycled, and provide an extra 20,000 jobs.

The Canadian ministry of Transport announced that $3.1 million will be invested into 22 projects to reduce the impact of underwater vessel noise. “The Quiet Vessel Initiative” aims to promote new technologies to reduce the impacts of vessel noise on marine mammals. This is in line with steps taken by industry and academia to help protect endangered species like the Southern Resident killer whale. The projects will generate technical evidence to support Canada’s noise management measures and to influence quiet vessel design standards and adoption. The projects in the Quiet Vessel Initiative include workshops to identify safe and practical approaches, developing real-time tools to track underwater noise released by marine vessels, and developing tools to detect marine animals and alert nearby vessels.

In early August, Barcelona’s port authority unveiled plans for its waterfront to host the teams taking part in the 37th Americas Cup. The site was initially selected for its prime location, which has easy access for spectators. It also offers strong potential for creating new public spaces capable of staging major events. Altogether, six bases will host the participants, with some 2,500 people expected to attend.

In late July, the Los Angeles port authority hired architects SWA to update the master plan for the San Pedro waterfront. The area will be made more attractive, by ensuring local restaurants and tourist attractions enjoy better connections with the city. The project will improve access to the site, with the installation of flexible and easily removable street furniture. The results will not be seen until early in 2024, but local residents will be consulted on strategic decisions throughout the process.

The age-old question is: which came first, the chicken or the egg? The issue of new infrastructures poses a similar conundrum: do they create demand themselves, or does there need to be existing demand before they are built? To answer that question, or to work around it, the port of Jurong (Singapore) is planning to aggregate domestic and maritime demand for green ammonia. The plant that produces this new alternative fuel will supply both electricity utility companies providing power to households, and shipping lines that refuel their vessels in Singapore. The plan will enable production to be scaled up to critical volumes, making this new energy source viable and marketable.