First plastic-collecting vessel augurs changing tide in fight against pollution

GENEVA — With a total deck surface roughly the size of a football pitch, The Manta, the first seagoing boat capable of collecting large quantities of macro plastic waste floating on oceans, was definitely the star on the first day of the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva on Wednesday.

Though still under construction, the giant boat, designed to be 70 meters long, 49 meters wide and 61 meters high, is based on the latest innovative technologies in the field of clean self-sufficient energy, and has an optimized maneuverability allowing her to rapidly reach highly polluted areas whether at sea, along coast lines or in estuaries.

According to project manager Marc Lebrun, The Manta will be featuring an innovative hybrid propulsion system consisting of wind power, solar energy and Dyna-Rigg sails. Two Darrieus wind generators produce 500Kw/h to propel its electric engines and refuel the batteries on board that benefit from an optimized energy storage system.

The most amazing part, however, is the factory on board to collect, sort, compact and store plastic waste. A unique collection system, including two collectors in the boat’s hulls, is designed to provide an innovative and efficient solution to bring waste rapidly on board.

To improve the prevention of waste reaching oceans, The

Manta will also be equipped with a scientific laboratory to allow for locating, assessing and gathering of waste. The data will be shared with the international community as open data. The Manta is part of the association “The SeaCleaners”, created in 2016 by Swiss skipper and adventurer Yvan Bourgnon who was “shocked by the amount of plastic waste polluting the seas”.

The Manta will be capable of collecting and processing nearly 10 tons of plastic wastes per day, or a total of 250 tons in a complete mission lasting about 25 days, said Lebrun. The boat will be equipped with 40 crew members, including eight to operate the boat and the rest 32 working in the factory on board.

Comparing with the boat’s manufacturing cost of about 30 million euros (about $37 million), Lebrun revealed an even ambitious plan of producing some 100 such giant boats in the future, as the project has so far attracted sponsorship from numerous private companies, NGOs and foundations, but also the attention of governments.