The concept is to collect ocean plastic waste and convert it into hydrogen fuel.
The rate growth of the amount of plastic waste in the world’s oceans is growing rapidly with the UN and others calling for immediate efforts to reduce the problem. A startup company developing hydrogen technologies, H2-Industries, working with naval architecture company TECHNOLOG Services has developed a novel concept ship that they say could collect plastic waste from the world’s oceans and converts it into hydrogen.
The ship is being designed to be more than 490 feet in length, with the exact size to be clarified at the design stage, depending on optimal storage capacity. The plan is for the ship to travel at four knots with the waste plastic collected by two smaller vessels towing a two-mile net that funnels the waste from the surface and up to depths of 30 feet. The vessel would use a novel open bow design that allows the collected plastic waste to be fed onto conveyors and into the storage hold. The waste would be converted into hydrogen using a thermolysis process that the H2-Industries is developing for plants onshore.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the shipping industry can make a positive impact on reducing global emissions. At H2-Industries, the plan is to help decarbonize industry and power generation, while cleaning up our water resources and converting pollutants into an energy source,” said Michael Stusch, CEO of H2-Industries.
For every 600 kg of waste collected, Stusch says approximately 100 kg of hydrogen can be produced and then, stored in a liquid organic hydrogen carrier, a fluid that can carry hydrogen and can be shipped in 20-foot containers. These containers would be transferred to smaller vessels by onboard cranes for delivery to shore.
The ship itself would run on electric motors using the hydrogen-charged fluid which is charged and discharged using proprietary catalyst technology developed by H2-Industries. The fluid, known as LOHC, produced on board would be used as the fuel aboard the ship and create electricity using H2-Industries’ 19-inch eRelease racks. Each rack will hold 48 KW of installed power and there will be multiple racks to deliver the approximately 2 MW that a ship of this size would require. H2-Industries developed the technology and intends to also promote it for use on cruise ships, supertankers, and large containerships. H2-Industries reports it has received preliminary approval to build its first LOHC hub in East Port Said in Egypt and is currently in discussions with more than 20 countries and, as well, with several ports worldwide.
One constraining factor for production the company notes is the volume of plastic feedstock. One rotary kiln they said can handle 600 kgs of waste every hour and that will generate approximately 100 kgs of hydrogen. Each ship will be designed to be fitted with multiple kilns to match the speed of plastic collection. The concept projects that each ship would collect plastic for around a year in one location before moving on to another water waste site. To ensure no marine wildlife is endangered during the waste collection process, the vessel will employ industry-tested technology developed for the seawater intake for desalination plants designed to protect wildlife and habitats.
H2-Industries expects that each ship could be built within roughly 24 months, once it has raised sufficient investments.
9,207 comments
MarcFauby
Bookmark earned and shared the link with one specific person who would care, and a look at opalvendorvault got the same targeted share, sharing carefully rather than broadcasting is a discipline I try to maintain and this site is generating shares from me at a sustainable rate rather than the spam rate of viral content.
Ammonhut
Nice and clean, that is the best way to describe the writing here, no clutter and no wasted words, and a quick visit to sagebazaar kept that going, I appreciate when a site treats its readers like people who can think for themselves without needing constant hand holding through every paragraph.
Samsonnut
A relief to read something where I did not have to fact check every claim mentally, and a look at lustervendor continued that reliable feeling, sites where I can lower my guard and trust the content are rare and this one is earning that trust paragraph by paragraph through consistent careful work behind the scenes.
Emiliohal
Generally I find the content on similar topics frustrating in specific ways and this post avoided all of them, and a look at mirstella continued that frustration free experience, content that sidesteps the standard failure modes of its genre is content with editorial awareness and this site has clearly studied what fails elsewhere consistently.
ShaneEcore
Comfortable read, finished it without realising how much time had passed, and a look at tiderack pulled me into more pages the same way, the absence of friction in good content lets time disappear and that is one of the highest compliments I can pay any piece of writing I find online during a regular search session.
Antoniolot
Now thinking the topic is more interesting than I had given it credit for, and a stop at irisinn continued that elevated interest, content that revives my curiosity about subjects I had set aside is doing genuine work in the structure of my interests and this site is providing that revivifying effect today actually.
Clarencenainc
Found a small mental shift after reading this, the framing here is just a bit different from the standard takes online, and a look at lemonvendor extended that fresh perspective across more material, the rare site whose voice actually changes how you think about something rather than just confirming existing beliefs.