The Ocean Cleanup is a project initiated by 23 year old Boyan Slat from Delft (NL). When he started the project he was only 20 years old. Their crowdfunding campaign was able to raise $2 million from more than 40.000 supporters. Maybe you where one of them?
Additionally the project received $31 million from sponsors including chief executive Marc Benioff, philantrophist Peter Thiel, and the Julius Baer Foundation.
The concept for cleaning up the oceans consists of 50km long V-formed tubes, which are floating on the surface of the sea, kept in place by weighting. They´ll collect 90% of the plastic debris floating in the oceans with a size bigger than 20mm. The waste will bring them around 50 Euros per ton of plastic debris brought to recycling stations. Most of the plastic debris is floating withing 3 meteres below the surface of the sea.
Second North Sea Prototype to be started soon
Their first final version cleanup system is scheduled to be deployed by mid-2018, less than 10 months from now. The first prototype ever was deployed in June 2016.Now, in August 2017 they put their second prototype of a new series of sub-system tests off the Dutch coast into the waters of the North Sea, while production of the full-length floater is underway in California. With this second iteration of the North Sea Prototype they will be able to test fatigue and durability performance of several sub-systems.
Signs are good, for the project to be successful. By the time, more and more notable scientist have joined the team around initiator Boyan Slat.
We at the Good News Channel will keep you updated about their success.
