New player in port waste management enters the market

Four ports in southern Norway are now using the PortBin solution which is in effect a weir skimmer for marine waste for use in the ports “debris bays”.

“Our goal is to collect most of the waste and encourage the adoption of a simple, effective cleaning tool that will bring environmental and social benefits,” said Trond Lindheim, manager of SpillTech, the Sandefjord-based company behind the new technology.

Littering is having an impact on water quality in Norwegian ports. Some areas are becoming increasingly polluted.

SpillTech’s main competence is oil spill containment and clean-up which it has used create the automated waste collector over the past year in cooperation with the Port of Sandefjord receiving support from Innovation Norway.

The waste collector works on the principle of weir-type skimmers. It creates a suction on the surface that allows it to collect waste in a 30-litre container, which is then emptied manually when needed.

“An important aspect of the development work has been to ensure that the equipment is easy to handle, and yet robust enough to withstand the environment. This is key because, even inside a port, seawater, wind and waves can provide quite harsh conditions,” added Mr Lindheim.

The waste collector is run by onshore power. Beta tests were carried out earlier this year and PortBin is now being used in several ports, including Kristiansand, Bergen, Bærum and Sandefjord and Copenhagen.

SpillTech is now looking to collaborate with Norwegian and international municipality and private sector organisations and industry partners who can explore further applications of this technology.

By Anne-Marie Causer