GreenLife4Seas (LIFE)

PROJECT ACRONYM

GREENLIFE4SEAS

PROGRAMME

LIFE-2022-SAP-ENV-ENVIRONMENT

FULL TITLE

GREen ENgineering solutions: a new LIFE for SEdiments And Shells

DURATION

60

PROJECT TOTAL BUDGET

€ 3.930.225,56

PPA SA BUDGET

€ 258.402,86

FUNDING

60% EU contribution

PROJECT SUMMARY

GREENLIFE4SEAS stems from the urgent need to find sustainable solutions for two strong environmental concerns: the fate of 200 million m3 of sediments, often contaminated, dredged in the EU every year and the disposal of 490,000 tons/year of shells, as one of the most impacting 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, that are used as secondary raw materials for the realisation of sustainable by-products by means of an optimised mixing technology.

PROJECT AIMS

The project is founded on three main pillars:
1. The realisation, at the real scale, of four innovative by-products (i.e., shell powder, paving blocks, breakwaters, stabilised mass) for the building sector mainly made by the reuse of shells and dredged sediments (after decontamination, if polluted) and produced directly in-situ by an original mixing technology.
2. The development of a sound and viable business model for the in-situ collection and treatment of mussel shell and dredged sediments based on the prototypal technology of a mobile plant (GL4S) producing the new by-products (paving blocks, breakwaters, stabilised mass).
3. The overcome of the regulatory barriers through the definition of a specific authorisation protocol for the reuse of dredged sediments for engineering solutions, as the pilot by-products to be realised throughout 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. GREENLIFE4SEAS results will epitomise a concrete contribution to improving the EU environmental policy for waste management, circular blue economy, and aquaculture.

PPA SA ROLE

In the frame of GREENLIFE4SEAS, PPA will carry out the below activities in the port area:

1.       Characterisation of dredged sediments to be used for project purposes.

2.       Dredging activity.

3.       Installation of plant prototype for mixing (shell powder + sediment + binders).

4.       Installation of mass stabilisation prototypes.

5.       Installation of outdoor paving blocks.

For Steps 1 and 2 there are no pending permissions. For steps 3-5: though a National regulatory framework for handling dredging material does not exist in Greece, the proposed use of the dredged sediments for the scope of GL4S is going to obtain approval of environmental terms, according to the Law for the protection of the environment.

The areas for installing the proposed paving blocks and breakwaters are included in the A.F. for Port of Piraeus. Need to be underlined that the interventions, which are on a small scale relatively to the size of the port zone of Piraeus, are foreseen to take place on the existing infrastructure (thus not in a new area). The interventions are not within areas of archaeologic interest or areas that include proclaimed archaeological sites therefore, there are no required additional environmental beyond the permission/licenses for small interventions foreseen in the project. The approval will be included in the deliberation process for the issue of environmental terms approval that will be issued.

PARTNERS

1.       POLITECNICO DI BARI (IT) - COO

2.       ISTITUTO SUPERIORE PER LA PROTEZIONE E LA RICERCA AMBIENTALE - ISPRA (IT)

3.       PORT AUTHORITY OF THE EASTERN LIGURIAN SEA - Port of La Spezia (IT)

4.       VITONE ECO SRL (IT)

5.       SIMEM SPA (IT)

6.       SOUTHERN ADRIATIC SEA PORTS AUTHORITY – Port Authorities of Bari and Barletta (IT)

7.       NOESIS SRL (IT)

8.       PIRAEUS PORT AUTHORITY S.A. (GR)

9.       CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (IT)

CONTACT

Dimitris Spyrou e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel: +30 210 4550883

Yiannis Alefantinos e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., tel: +30 210 4550267