18 Nov 2010
INDEPENDENT STUDY VALIDATES ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF DYNEEMA® BASED NETS IN COMMERCIAL FISHING
URMOND (NL), November 18, 2010 - A study recently completed among the commercial fishing community has yielded clear proof that nets made with Dyneema® ultra-strong lightweight fiber yield major cost savings for fishermen through reductions in fuel usage, and make an important contribution to the sustainability of the fishing industry through reduced emissions of carbon dioxide.
Dyneema®, an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, is manufactured by DSM Dyneema. The company has made sustainability a keystone of its corporate strategy. “We view our sustainability efforts across three key dimensions, People, Planet and Profit.” says André van Wageningen, Global Marketing Manager for Commercial fishing at DSM Dyneema. “We are continually asking ourselves: how can we improve the quality of life of our clients and their customers? How can we reduce our environmental impact and contribute to sustainable business and manufacturing processes? And how can we ensure DSM Dyneema and our customers will have the financial resources to continue this important work well into the future?”
The commercial fishing industry is a key market for the company. Dyneema® fiber enables fishermen to use nets with thinner twines and ropes that are less bulky than more traditional materials, without sacrificing performance. The lower weight and smaller diameter of the equipment, result in lower drag that they create in the water, enabling fishermen to make significant fuel savings.
“People have been saying for a long time that the Dyneema® fiber has major advantages over steel wire and other synthetic fibers in netting and rope,” says van Wageningen. “But we wanted to look at the entire value chain and also needed market data from a respected independent source to conclusively confirm our own beliefs. This is what we now have.”
DSM Dyneema commissioned Triple Value, a specialist sustainability consultancy, to quantify the impact of the use of Dyneema® fiber all along the value chain in the commercial fishing industry. The study focused mainly on wild catch in pelagic zones. Two case studies of boats fishing in the North and North-East Atlantic for herring and mackerel were developed and extensive interviews and research carried out.
The study came up with several important conclusions. The most important one was a clear confirmation that by switching to Dyneema® fiber, less fuel is used and the reduction in resulting carbon dioxide emissions from a vessel over the course of one year is substantial – in one case approximately equivalent to the emissions of 100 cars in the same period.
“Everybody is talking about carbon footprints these days,” says van Wageningen. “Trawler owners attach a lot of importance to the investment cost of their nets and ropes, and their cost in use. This study demonstrates that the money they can save in reduced fuel bills by using nets and ropes with Dyneema®, the low maintenance cost together with the environmental benefits, easily make up for the higher up-front investment.”
Triple Value compiled data from two different boats operating in the North and North East Atlantic, with very different annual landings and levels of fuel consumption. In both cases, it found that over the period of one year, the operators saved substantial amounts (almost €100,000 in one case) by using gear made with Dyneema®, thanks to fuel savings of around 10%. The savings were particularly noticeable when fishing in shallower water.
“The use of UHMWPE fiber of DSM Dyneema leads to a reduced footprint all along the value chain,” says van Wageningen. “This is not a win-win situation, it’s a win-win-win situation. The supplier benefits, the user benefits, and the planet benefits.”
DSM Dyneema presented the results and conclusions of its study at the Energy use in Fisheries Symposium, held in Seattle on November 14-17.
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Notes for editors
About DSM Dyneema
DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® is an Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene (UHMWPE) fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® fiber floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.
UHMWPE fiber from DSM Dyneema is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands) and in Greenville, North Carolina (U.S.A.). DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan. Further information on DSM Dyneema is available at www.dyneema.com and www.commercialfishing.dyneema.com.
DSM – the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company
Royal DSM N.V. creates solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance. Its end markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM manages its business with a focus on the triple bottom line of economic performance, environmental quality and social responsibility, which it pursues simultaneously and in parallel. DSM has annual net sales of about € 8 billion and employs some 22,700 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com.
Dyneema® and Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™ are trademarks of Royal DSM. Use of these trademarks is prohibited unless strictly authorized.
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