Each day debris intentionally or accidentally ends up in our lakes, waterways and marine environments.
There is no body of water that does not experience this problem. This unsightly debris is a threat to our marine life, navigational safety, and to human health. That’s why the Dutch scale-up RanMarine Technology is showing the MegaShark at CES 2023, an electrically driven vessel designed to remove trash from waters and return it to shore before it can do damage.
Every year, 11 million metric tons of toxic plastic leak into our oceans on top of the estimated 200 million metric tons that are already in our marine environments . The UN Environmental Program predicts that this number will triple to about 35 million tons per year by 2040. RanMarine Technology, a startup of CleanTech Robotics, has come up with a solution to eradicate this pollution. The company has invented multiple floating drones to clear waterways, canals, rivers and ports of plastic before it leaks into the ocean. In addition, the company is introducing a drone which can transport light cargo together with collecting floating trash and biomass.
MegaShark features
The MegaShark™ is designed to harvest waste from our waterways using powerful suction jets to increase waste capture in difficult to reach chokeholds. Armed with an onboard trash compaction system, it’s possible to collect larger amounts of waste per day. With a shallow draft, the vessel emits less drag which improves efficiency and battery life. The MegaShark™ is easy to operate: an operator is able to manage the drone comfortably by standing or sitting on the vessel itself, or operating remotely on the side-lines. Additionally, the drone has 8 hours running time (electric) and uses advanced battery technology – ensuring emission-free operation on the water, and not polluting the environment any further..
With marine debris being one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world’s ocean and waterways today, according to the Marine Debris Program, new solutions are being sought globally to radically reduce the harmful effects of waste. The MegaShark is one solution at the forefront of the marine debris fight.
Water quality analysis
RanMarine Technology’s drones are designed to harvest plastic and biomass waste from urban waterways in smart cities, ports and harbours. In addition to waste harvesting, the drone also collects critical water quality data, which is immediately transmitted to the portal and available for reporting and analysis, ensuring our waters are safe for everyone.
TenderShark
RanMarine will also introduce the TenderShark, which is designed to service the boating community. This versatile “mini” tender is designed to carry light cargo loads efficiently and effectively from ship to shore, and vice-versa. Together with transporting loads in an environmental manner you have the option for simultaneously collecting floating waste, allowing all marine vessel operators / owners to assist in the fight against plastic.
Sharkpod Mothership
The world’s first autonomous floating docking station for waste-clearing drones, RanMarine’s SharkPod™, has the ability to deploy, dock and charge up to 5 WasteShark drones at any time. This is our latest tool in pollution-fighting technology that will enable ports, harbours and cities to operate a 24-hour autonomous solution to remove floating waste from the water. The SharkPod will be available to purchase in early 2023.
New approach to current problems
The brainchild of RanMarine founder and CEO Richard Hardiman, the WasteShark USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) has been designed to scoop harmful plastic waste from waterways, canals, rivers and Ports and return it to shore before it can do damage. “We have an epic battle on our hands’, says Hardiman, “current technologies are simply not working, we need a modern approach to a modern problem, and for me robots and autonomous drones were an easy and simple answer. Of course it’s critical to create policies and strategies to stop plastic waste from entering our waterways as a primary strategy. Our WasteShark’s offer a pragmatic solution for cleaning up the existing mess that is perpetuated on a daily basis, and effectively prevent waste from reaching the open ocean.”
Existing customers
RanMarine’s robotic products are designed to remove plastic waste and biomass such as algae from waterways; their clients span worldwide and are made up of civic and commercial entities including the Port of Houston, Disney theme parks, Universal, the United Nations and local and state authorities worldwide.