A Spanish port authority is testing the suitability of a vessel that collects and stores floating waste and microplastics for operation at its port.
Between February and March, the Port Authority of Seville tested the marine debris and biological sample collection abilities of the catamaran OC-Tech Horizon, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Now, in coordination with the University of Seville and Ocean Cleaner Technology, the port authority is testing the adaptability and suitability of the catamaran to the conditions of the dock and the estuary, and for assessment of the inland port’s environmental strategy work.
« We are committed to innovative initiatives that help us to improve our environment, such as this boat that we are presenting in Seville, with which we will work on new experimental platforms to get to know the estuary and contribute to the cleanliness of the dock, » said Rafael Carmona, president of the Port Authority of Seville.
« For us the search for environmental excellence is a fundamental objective in the sustainability strategy of the Port Authority, » pointed out the president.
The work onboard the OC- Tech Horizon has consisted in the collection and classification of floating waste and microplastics and the taking of samples to measure the quality of the water, among other criteria. In addition, in situ data has been obtained on the physical-chemical parameters of the water column at certain points of the Guadalquivir estuary (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, salinity and chlorophyll) alongside samples of benthos, plankton and microalgae in the estuary.
The Port Authority of Seville is working now with Ocean Cleaner Technology to develop a pioneering project involving a hydrogen engine.
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