Speira, a leading European aluminum rolling and recycling company, received Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) certification for VIA Maris Njørdal, its high-strength 5000 series alloy used in shipbuilding and the offshore industry. The alloy was developed in collaboration with Water Revolution Foundation (WRF) and external partner Alea Design, a spin-off from the University of Modena Reggio Emilia.
The VIA Maris Njørdal alloy was analyzed in comparison to the previously used solution. The life cycle analysis shows the improved performance of VIA Maris Njørdal compared to VIA Maris 5083 — with a 15% higher strength, the innovative aluminum solution enables an up to 15 percent reduction in the use of materials in shipbuilding. The LCA results are currently being used to create Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for both VIA Maris 5083 and VIA Maris Njørdal. Speira thus follows the understanding that sustainability and transparency are inseparable and shows how its aluminum sheets impact the environment in ship, yacht and boat building.
“Together with progressive partners like Speira, our foundation is taking impactful steps to reduce the ecological footprint of the yachting industry,” said Awwal Idris, environmental expert at the WRF. “Using the rigorous Life Cycle Assessment methodology outlined by ISO 14040, we comprehensively analyzed the aluminum used in VIA Maris Njørdal, evaluating its entire journey from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal and recycling. This assessment confirms that Speira’s aluminium solution surpasses the conventional, business-as-usual standard 5083 alloy, offering better environmental performance as a construction material and supporting more eco-friendly building practices. We’re advancing an environmentally responsible future for the yachting industry and the planet by championing materials that minimize harm to our environment.”
The yachting industry is dependent on the intact ecosystem of the oceans. This is why WRF takes a co-operative, constructive approach, guided by the state-of-the-art science and the initiatives of the international community. By providing the yachting industry with tools, knowledge, and best practices (such as its Hub of Verified Solutions), the foundation aims to be the central platform that facilitates the shift towards neutralizing the industry’s ecological footprint and thus makes a decisive contribution to protecting the oceans. The foundation forms the link between the yachting industry and the strategic approach of the United Nations and UNESCO.
The WRF’s mission has been supported by Speira since 2023 through its production of special alloys for shipbuilding. Based on many years of experience in the production of high-strength 5000 series alloys, Speira’s VIA Maris products are the perfect solution for applications in the maritime and offshore industry. They offer a more eco-friendly, easy-to-process material with a low CO2 footprint.
Yacht builder Arksen from London, for example, is already using Speira’s marine-grade aluminum for its new Explorer yachts. With the Arksen 85, the company is presenting its first vessel with hybrid propulsion, which is low-maintenance, efficient and less resource-intensive over its entire life cycle and is set to become part of a planned fleet of more environmentally-conscious yachts for marine research and conservation. “Njørdal is a really exciting product for Arksen, not only does it have higher mechanical properties than many grades in marine aluminium, but also has a higher recycled content, which is a really key thing for Arksen in our sustainability pathway,” says Jim Mair, Technical Director at Arksen.
Speira is committed to developing low-carbon solutions in shipbuilding, and being recognized by WRF is an important step in this direction. The independent LCA certification of VIA Maris Njørdal is a seal of innovation and quality and a valuable guide for engineers and shipyards on how to further reduce the environmental footprint of the maritime industry by choosing the right aluminum solution.
Speira is comprised of a total of eleven recycling and production sites in Germany and Norway plus its own research and development. Speira recycles up to 650,000 tons of aluminum per year and produces around one million tons of advanced rolled products. The plants include the Alunorf joint venture, the world’s largest aluminum rolling mill, and Grevenbroich, the world’s largest refining plant. With approximately 5,400 employees, Speira is proud to supply some of the best-known industrial companies in the global sectors of automotive, packaging, printing, engineering, building and construction.