Under the banner of MANTA INNOVATION, the technical team is pioneering a suite of groundbreaking solutions to combat plastic pollution. Among their most ambitious and unique projects is the Manta, an innovative processing ship engineered to collect, treat, and repurpose vast amounts of floating plastic debris. This first-of-its-kind vessel operates in highly polluted waters along coastlines, estuaries, and the mouths of major rivers, addressing both floating macro-waste and smaller debris as tiny as 10 millimeters up to a meter deep. The Manta showcases remarkable efficiency, capable of extracting between 1 to 3 tonnes of waste per hour depending on the density of the waste layers. With a goal of collecting 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes of plastic annually, it can operate up to 20 hours a day, seven days a week. This self-sufficient workboat processes 90 to 95% of the collected plastic waste at sea, thanks to its innovative eco-friendly system.
This system includes a waste sorting unit, which manually segregates the waste by type and packages it to enhance energy efficiency, and a waste-to-energy conversion unit, which transforms the waste into electricity to power all of the Manta’s electrical systems with minimal CO2 emissions. The Manta is equipped with four complementary collection systems: waste-collecting conveyors that bring waste on board, three floatable collection systems with a 66-meter span for surface waste, two small multipurpose boats called “Mobulas” for collecting micro and macro-plastic in shallower areas, and two lateral cranes for extracting large floating debris. This sophisticated array ensures comprehensive waste collection, maximizing the ship’s impact on polluted waters. The primary mission of the Manta is to convert waste into energy rather than store it, to prevent the ship from becoming weighed down and to minimize energy consumption.
Non-repurposed waste is temporarily stored in large bags on the deck or hulls before eventual conversion to energy. The Manta has a storage capacity of 140 cubic meters (approximately 50 tonnes) for plastic waste and two 33 cubic meter containers for drift nets and hazardous waste.Remarkably, the Manta operates without fossil fuels for 50% to 75% of the time, making it an unprecedented example of energy self-sufficiency in workboats. Its preferred means of propulsion are sails and riggings to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint. This high degree of energy independence grants the Manta an almost unlimited range, enabling it to swiftly reach intervention zones worldwide, including river mouths and estuaries with concentrated waste or areas affected by climate hazards and natural disasters.
The Manta’s on-board equipment includes several renewable energy generation systems, minimizing its environmental footprint and reliance on fossil fuels. These include two 100kW wind turbines, nearly 500 square meters of photovoltaic solar panels (100 kWp), and two 100kW hydrogenerators driven by the boat’s sail-powered movement. The waste-to-energy conversion unit also contributes 100kW. For compliance and safety, the Manta has two diesel engines for low-speed maneuvers and crew safety, integrated into a hybrid propulsion system combining automated DynaRig sails and electric motor-driven propellers. The Manta’s design prioritizes sailing as its primary mode of transport, with a hybrid system allowing for low-speed maneuvers essential for delicate operations like entering and exiting ports and waste collection at 2 to 3 knots, all while maintaining a reduced ecological footprint. Agile and energy-efficient, the Manta can achieve speeds over 12 knots, demonstrating its versatility in both speed and sustainability.
Additionally, the Manta serves as a floating research station, supporting institutional research teams worldwide to enhance scientific understanding of plastic waste geolocation, quantification, and characterization. Hosting 6 to 10 scientists at a time, the ship offers oceanographic equipment and four research spaces: two labs, a study room, and an analysis room, facilitating groundbreaking research during its deep-sea and coastal missions. The Manta’s initial operational zones are estuaries and river mouths with severe plastic pollution. Each intervention site is chosen based on extensive data, ensuring that the Manta targets the most affected areas to maximize its impact. This strategic approach underscores MANTA INNOVATION’s commitment to addressing plastic pollution on a global scale, demonstrating a visionary blend of advanced technology, environmental stewardship, and scientific collaboration.
Source » The Sea Cleaners