It's no secret that ocean pollution is a problem that threatens the world's largest natural ecosystem, one that scientists are trying to remedy in various ways. One solution comes from Italy, where a reputable boatyard known for producing luxury yachts has created a boat with a much different mission—to help clear the oceans of plastic waste.
The CPN Shipyard, based in Ancona, Italy, first developed what is now known as the Kela Eco Boat in 2012, working on several prototypes before settling on the two versions that exist today—one with a length of 11 meters and one of 13 meters, said Francesco Faragalli, project manager for Kela Eco Boat, in a recent Design News interview.
The current incarnation of the Kela Eco Boat was designed from the ground up in a sustainable way with a sustainable mission—to clean the waters of not only the ocean but also of rivers and lakes by ridding it of plastic or other toxic materials that create pollution.
Long History
The original inspiration for CPN to develop an ecological boat started long before Kela was developed, with a project in Naples developed about 20 years ago that developed a vessel with similar waste-clearing functionalities, Faragalli said. CPN was inspired by this project to put a modern spin on a vessel that could be used to retrieve plastic and other waste from the world's waterways, he said. "CPN decided to replicate this and add their know-how to a new design," Faragalli told us.
While other boats aimed at clearing the world's oceans of waste, the unique, multi-function design of Kela Eco Boat and the experience in boat-building behind those who developed it set it apart from other solutions, he said. "Kela is all about innovation," he said. "This is the only boat that can directly really have an impact for the collection of waste in seas, rivers, and oceans."
Combination of Capabilities
The Kela Eco Boat has four key functions: it can pick up floating solid and semi-submerged waste; collect and separate oil from spills; oxygenate water to reduce the iridescence from hydrocarbons that pollute it; and extinguish fires that occur after a disaster such as an oil spill.
Aside from its combination of environmental-improvement capabilities, the boat's design also supports sustainability. While its hull is made from steel, its superstructure is made from recycled aluminum, Faragalli told Design News.
All of the electronics on the boat are powered by photovoltaics; however, in terms of efficiency, it didn't make sense to use solar energy for the engine of the boat, which runs on diesel, he said. "This is a boat that should work in difficult conditions, and today's electric engine is not reliable to do this," Faragalli told Design News.
However, keeping in line with the overall sustainability goals of the project, the 230-horsepower diesel engine of the boat was designed for low fuel consumption and low carbon-dioxide emissions. Its designers also hope to develop a hybrid and even one day an electric engine to power future versions of the boat, Faragalli added.
Another unique aspect of the boat's design is a propulsion system for taking plastic and other debris out of the ocean, deflecting it into a vortex that collects it and moves it onto a conveyor that transports the waste to a large basket to be stored on the boat for further disposal.
The automated system allows the boat to be effective at its tasks even if only one person is aboard; however, a crew of at least two people on board is optimal for operating Kela for waste-retrieval missions, Faragalli said.
Partners in Fighting Plastic Pollution
So far, there are about seven boats in operation by customers in Italy and Thailand who have bought Kela Eco Boats, while negotiations are ongoing with potential clients in Indonesia, Nigeria, and other European countries, Faragalli told Design News.
CPN also is working with partners to participate in clean-up and waste-collection activities using the boats. Recently, a Belgium-based nonprofit called Waste Free Oceans (WFO) unveiled that it's teaming up with the Kela Eco Boat to sponsor clean-ups using the vessel as well as to manage and recycle the waste into products that can be resold.
WFO is aimed at mobilizing the fisheries sector, the plastics industry, policy makers, and the wider public to reduce the impact of marine litter on the world's ocean environment and natural resources, according to its website.Â
The organization partners with recyclers, converters, and brands to then reuse the plastic waste it recovers from the ocean and other bodies of water. In fact, WFO often keeps track of the whole plastic value chain, working alongside recyclers to ensure the different types of plastic are recycled and sorted properly and then later working with partners to create new products with plastic collected on clean-ups, Clara Hoyas, a spokeswoman for the organization, told Design News. Â
For example, the group has carried out clean-ups in the Danube River for many years, and some of the plastic collected has been upcycled into products such as glasses and suitcases in collaboration with partners, she said.
"We always try to partner with new brands who are willing to make their product more sustainable, then we run some tests and sometimes we manage to create new products with a certain percentage of ocean plastic," Hoyas said. "That's already a victory."