Circular Solutions and Material Usage
Increased use of the railway is central to reducing greenhouse gases. However, the production, maintenance, and management of rolling stock (trains and components) also require the use of natural resources and result in emissions.
At Mantena, we will take an active role in creating circular value chains and reducing material consumption.
Relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals for this target area:
Relevant material topics:
- Increase component lifespan
- Create circular value chains
- Increase the lifespan of trains (value preservation)
Facts on Circular Solutions and Material Usage in Mantena in 2023
We have been working on a variety of improvement and development initiatives that will help increase the lifespan of components, create more circular value chains, and extend the lifespan of trains. Read more about one of the projects here.
In 2023, we invested NOK 2.1 million in the R&D project RevEngRail, which will help extend the lifespan of trains.
A number of applications have been submitted for the optimization of maintenance programs.
Overall Objectives
- Extend the lifespan of components and trains through innovation, continuous improvement, and changing maintenance strategies (from preventive to predictive).
- Extend the lifespan of trains by ensuring access to parts, even for older train models.
- Ensure proper handling of obsolete inventory and production waste by actively seeking solutions for reuse/alternative use, recycling, and, ultimately, proper sorting and waste management.
Targets for 2024
- Clarify Our Product and Service Portfolio: Emphasize our offerings in circular solutions and material consumption.
- Actively Seek Alternatives to Discarding Obsolete Inventory: Explore other solutions besides disposing of outdated stock.
- Investigate Opportunities in Secondary Markets: Examine the possibility of purchasing parts and components more extensively through secondary markets (based on the hypothesis of large inventories held by train companies in Europe).
- Conduct Thorough Research on Produced Waste: Undertake comprehensive insights into the waste we generate.
As a provider of maintenance and technical services, our main focus areas are:
- Design / Redesign: Extend usage and increase application areas.
- Production: The RevEngRail project, where we can produce components and parts through methods like 3D printing, is an example of this work.
- Reuse and Repair: Extend the lifespan of components and actively contribute to a secondary market for train parts.
- Recycling: Sustainable planning and design for disposal and reuse.
