Clean The OCEAN Today we're going to talk about something the Trussty team isn't used to. Because this time we will discuss about an extraordinary ship that is trying to be developed in such a way that it can become a reliable ocean waste sweeper.
 |
| The Manta, a 56 meter (184 ft) long catamaran sailing vessel's use of electricity, along with solar cells and wind turbines will make it 70% self-sufficient in energy. (Picture from: WEForum) |
Maybe this is how a French professional yacht racer named Yves Bourgnon feels who is disturbed and annoyed by constant sighting of floating plastic wastes in coastal waters, even in the open ocean over the years. This is understandable because he has spent his career racing sailing vessels around the globe as a competitive yachtsmen. Therefore, he and other environmental activists incorporated in the 'SeaCleaners' then initiated a project to design an ocean-cleaning sailboat that is powered by the waste it collects. That's a pretty brilliant idea.
 |
| Yvan Bourgnon, a French professional yacht racer who is initiated a project to design an ocean-cleaning sailboat that is powered by the waste it collects. (Picture from: Assises-Dechets) |
The outcome of the project initiated by Yves Bourgnon and his colleagues will be a 56 meter (184 ft) long catamaran sailing vessel named the 'Manta,' which according to Reuters is one of the largest waste-collecting vessels on the seas. As mentioned before, the Manta uses waste to drive electric motor that works in conjuction with the sails to propel the large catamaran.
 |
| The Manta is one of the largest waste-collecting vessels on the seas and is powered by the waste it collects. (Picture from: SeaCleaners) |
The mechanism for collecting waste up to become the vessel's fuel is carried out when the Manta glides on the sea, in between its three pontoons there're conveyor belts scoops up trash as small as 10 millimeters, while the three trawl nets drift behind (to a depth of 1 meter, thereby avoiding marine life) to be added to the onboard collection.
 |
| The Manta provides the conveyor belts scoops up trash then fed into processing machines where the vessel's crew members sort it before transferring it to an incinerator to drive turbines to creates electric power. (Picture from: SeaCleaners) |
This waste is then fed into processing machines where the vessel's crew members sort it before transferring it to an incinerator that shreds and melts the plastic (and even uses heat and gases) to drive turbines to creates electric power.
 |
| The Manta is said able to sail non-stop by sucking 3 tons of garbage per hour, without the need to return to nearest port to refuel or unload plastic. (Picture from: Assises-Dechets) |
Another ways o generates electric power is also done by harvesting solar heat by lining the deck with solar panels and installing wind turbines to harvest power from the wind coming from the sails, so that Manta can be said to be 70% independent in terms of energy, and allows it to sail non-stop by sucking 3 tons of garbage per hour, without the need to return to nearest port to refuel or unload plastic.
In addition to having a primary function as a sea waste collector, this vessel also provides room onboard that functions as a scientific laboratory, which allows marine biologists and chemists to study the effects of plastics on ecosystems and many other studies.
Although initially launched purely as a concept, but the SeaCleaners intends to put it as a fully operational prototype that can be work collecting waste on the oceans by 2024. Furthermore Bourgnon believes that if 400 vessels such this are successfully built, and they can eventually eliminate as much as 33% of the plastic waste on the sea. It's a noble effort that can make our environment clean from waste, and make life better and healthier. Let's support so that it can be realized soon! *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE SEACLEANER | ASSISES-DECHETS | GOODNEWSNETWORK | WEFORUM ]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
