Living Ports

The Valencian Innovation Agency grants to Rover Maritime a grant for the execution of the project “Living Ports: Marine infrastructures of sustainable concrete to favor the growth of marine flora and fauna” within the program of Strategic Projects in Cooperation 2020. The company will develop the project jointly with the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the Catholic University, will end in December 2021 and has a total budget of about 500,000 €.

Concrete-based coastal and maritime infrastructure (MCI) dominates coastal areas around the world, these infrastructures that replace or invade natural habitats can provide an ecosystem similar to that offered by undisturbed coastlines. Still, studies show that marine flora and fauna in ICM zones is less diverse than in natural ecosystems, and is commonly dominated by opportunistic and even invasive species.

To minimize these effects, the present project is proposed whose main objective is the adaptation of port maritime infrastructures to climate change through the demonstration and implementation of sustainable solutions, able to reduce the carbon footprint by using more sustainable materials for their construction and their ability to promote the growth of marine flora and fauna on its surface.

The new sustainable concept for these port shelter infrastructures is based on a concrete matrix with a reduced carbon footprint, as it includes in its composition recycled materials (glass waste) that incorporated into the concrete can significantly reduce the amount of required Portland cement in the mixture, which is generating a high carbon footprint. At the same time, these infrastructures will actively act, thanks to an innovative design and finish, in promoting the growth of marine flora and fauna.