Autonomous waste collecting vessel deployed for work in Dominican Republic

Netherlands-based non-government organisation The Ocean Cleanup has deployed its newest pollution collection vessel to the Dominican Republic for river cleanup duties.

The solar-powered autonomous barge Interceptor 004 arrived in the Caribbean country earlier this month and is currently being prepared for work on the Ozama River.

The river was once teeming with fish but had become heavily polluted over the years due to the waste originating from factories and slums along the shoreline.

Interceptor 004 is fitted with a floating barrier that extends towards the front for funneling waste through the vessel’s mouth. The rubbish will then be transported via a conveyor to onboard containers with a total capacity of 50 cubic metres.

The barge can work autonomously until its onboard storage becomes full, though it can continue extracting debris even as its six 8.3-cubic-metre dumpsters are being emptied.

The Ocean Cleanup claims Interceptor 004 can extract up to 50,000 kilograms of plastic per day.

See all the content for this week’s Pollution Recovery Week right here