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The SeaCleaners unveils ‘The Manta’

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a pioneering sailboat for collecting marine plastic waste

After three years of research and development The SeaCleaners, with whom Spadel has a strategic partnership, unveiled the design of 'The Manta'. The 56,5 meters long catamaran is designed to rid the seas and coastal waters of increasing amounts of plastics.

17 tons of plastic a minute

Every minute, around the globe, 17 tons of plastic is dumped in the oceans. Yvan Bourgnon was tired of hitting floating objects during competitions and seeing paradise turned into a dump. He decided to take action by creating The SeaCleaners. Yvan set up a centre of expertise dedicated to constructing a pioneering ship: The Manta, the first sea- cleaning boat capable of collecting floating plastic waste on an industrial scale.

Thanks to a unique combination of collection means, the Manta will be able to collect both floating macro-waste and smaller debris from 10 millimetres upwards and up to one metre deep. In addition to the ocean's cleanup, The Manta is also equipped to clean waterways and coastal lines. With two smaller multi-service collection boats housed in The Manta, up to ten cubic meters of plastic per boat/a day can be collected.

A world first

The Manta will be the only workboat capable of managing 100% of the plastic waste collected at sea thanks to its onboard factory. It will be sorted manually, treated and recovered using a pyrolysis energy conversion unit capable of converting all the plastic collected into energy with a minimal environmental footprint. With a waste collection and processing capacity of 1 to 3 tons per hour, the Manta's objective is to rid the oceans of 5,000 to 10,000 tons of plastic waste per year.

This extraordinary ship will also serve as a cutting-edge scientific laboratory for the observation, analysis and understanding of ocean plastic pollution and as an educational platform open to the public.

Manta spotting

Diving enthusiasts know that South-East Asia and South-America are the best spots to go scuba diving with Manta Rays. Besides, it will also be a place where you will be able to spot the cleaning efforts of The Manta.

The Manta will intervene mainly in Asia, Africa and South America, on strategic sectors where marine plastic pollution is particularly dense: coastal areas, rivers, large rivers mouths and estuaries. A deep-sea vessel, the Manta will also be capable of intervening rapidly in polluted areas following a natural or climatic disaster (typhoons, tsunamis, …).

Maiden voyage

In 2019 Spadel entered into a partnership with the team behind this technological marvel. The innovative efforts that The SeaCleaners are taking are a perfect match with the restore pillar of Source of Change. Now, two years later, with the boat's design and development in its final stage, the shipyard will be selected where the catamaran will be built. The launch and the first collection campaigns will take place in 2024.

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