Wärtsilä has announced that it signed an agreement with the Seabin Project in order to join a global pilot programme, which addresses the worldwide littering problem affecting our oceans.The project aims at approaching the challenge from multiple angles with a key emphasis on education, research and technology.
Wärtsilä will work in cooperation with Seabin Project for the next three years and has sponsored both the city and port of Helsinki’s involvement with the programme. The Wärtsilä – Seabin partnership aims at dynamic and versatile actions using Wärtsilä’s experience, established technologies, and know-how in environmental product development.
The partnership with Seabin is part of Wärtsilä Corporation’s Finland 100 year centennial programme. The company is celebrating 100 years of Finland’s independence by giving something back to the country, part of which is the sponsorship of the city and port of Helsinki.
The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that is located in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports, collecting all floating rubbish. Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through the catch bag filter inside the Seabin. The water is then pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly. The Seabin also has the potential to collect a percentage of oils and pollutants floating on the water surface. The team at Seabin Project are currently using 12 volt submersible water pumps, which have the option to use alternative and cleaner energy sources. This may be using solar, wave or wind power technology depending on the geographical location and current technologies available.
Seabin’s global pilot programme will be launched in April 2017 with the presentation and installation of the latest prototype (V5 Hybrid) in different locations around the globe. Helsinki will be one of these locations and is to date the only one in the Nordic countries. During the three month test period, user experience and data will be gathered from the pilot partners before commercial sales of the Seabins commence.
Source: Wartsila
