Konecranes helps to tackle the global plastic waste problem together with The Ocean Cleanup

“The first 3rd generation Interceptor, “005”, designed, manufactured and assembled by us was put into the water of Klang River, Malaysia, in October 2021. The key design feature is scalability, to enable series production for producing many Interceptors in years to come. The Interceptors are also designed for easy transportation in a container,” says Boon Kiat Tan, from MHE-Demag, which is part of Konecranes corporation. Boon Kiat has been acting as the Product Owner for the project. 

The project proved that Konecranes, a company traditionally known for its cranes, can deliver something that the company has never done before: a vessel that floats on water. Many challenges were faced along the way, but the team managed to solve those successfully. During the last quarter of 2021, the project moved from the proof-of-concept phase to the implementation and acceleration phase, as both the product as well as the manufacturing process had been proven to work. 
Along the way, the engineering team found new, more efficient solutions for the Interceptor. For example, the conveyor belt was widened so that the capacity to collect debris and deliver waste to the shuttle’s dumpsters increased. 

“This showcases our capability to deal with new, very extraordinary projects and engineering challenges, even during a global pandemic when the whole team had to work online. Our open-minded team, organization, engineering capabilities, infrastructure and tools enabled this innovative project. We built a boat that cleans up rivers and helps in The Ocean Cleanup’s mission to rid the oceans of plastic. The rivers are the main pathway through which plastic enters the oceans and Interceptors are there to close the tap,” adds Boon Kiat.

As the cooperation continues, the focus is on getting new Interceptor units live. Given the scale and urgency of the issue, The Ocean Cleanup needs partners to reach the goal of removing plastic in the 1000 most polluted rivers.

“We help to facilitate the process with The Ocean Cleanup: Signing contracts with sponsors and finding vessel owners and operators, negotiating with countries and government bodies, and other practicalities that need to be in place before an Interceptor is ready for cleaning the river,” says Boon Kiat.

Konecranes is also providing extended service for the Interceptors like monitoring and remote service. The company also develops equipment and new onshore technologies for emptying the bins, or, in rivers where Interceptors are not suitable, removing the debris from other kinds of collectors, like trash booms.