The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit developing advanced technologies to clear the oceans of plastics, and Konecranes, a leading group of Lifting Businesses, have announced a partnership to design, manufacture and service The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor
The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor is designed to extract plastic from rivers before entering the ocean.
This is an important step as the non-profit organisation prepares to tackle the world’s 1000 most polluting rivers.
Deploying large-scale interceptors is needed to address the urgent problem of marine plastic pollution in a timely manner. The Ocean Cleanup is partnering with Konecranes on the basis of their expertise and global footprint. At the same time, Interceptors 005 and 006 are being manufactured simultaneously at the Konecranes MHE-Demag facility in Klang, Malaysia, and are expected to be completed by May 2021.
Moving forward, Konecranes will manage the production, installation and maintenance of Interceptor; local partners will oversee operations. Ocean Cleanup will continue to act as a technology and best practice provider and lead business development in the coming Interceptor projects.
Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, said, “It is a necessary step for us to tackle the global flow of plastic pollution to our oceans at scale. I believe Konecranes is well-suited for the job, and we look forward to seeing them build many more Interceptors in the coming years. I am thankful for their commitment to clean oceans.”
Konecranes is renowned for its leading technology and service in the handling and lifting of materials. Its engineering and design expertise, along with its global service network, will enable Interceptors to be assembled and installed worldwide. Through this global footprint, supported in particular by the design and manufacturing strengths of MHE-Demag, Konecranes can service and maintain Interceptors throughout their lifetime.
The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor was unveiled in late 2019, and there are currently three deployed in Klang, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In Vietnam, a fourth Interceptor has been delayed for deployment and is expected to be launched early in 2021.
Over the last year and a half, The Ocean Cleanup has used these pilot systems’ insights to understand and further develop the technology for more efficient mass production. These upgrades include changes to the conveyor, shuttle, dumpsters, and barge. Working together with MHE-Demag, these changes have been incorporated into the third generation design, which is the blueprint for the Interceptors being manufactured in 2020 and 2021.
