Wärtsilä and the Grimaldi Group are trialling an open-loop exhaust gas treatment system that traps microplastic particles before the wash water returns to the sea.

According to early test results, the microplastics filtration system, designed and patented by Grimaldi, efficiently captures particles smaller than 10µm, and the captured concentration by volume equals around 76 particles/m3.

A 10 MW engine will require scrubbers to process approximately 450 m3 of water per hour.

Wärtsilä's will add the microplastics filtration capability to its future wash water treatment system. All revenues from the patent licensing will go to charity.

"We have already completed pilot testing of this system onboard one of our vessels deployed between Civitavecchia and Barcelona. The results are promising, with 64,680 microplastic particles collected on a single voyage between these two ports. We are glad that Wärtsilä also recognises the potential of this system, and we look forward to further collaboration to tackle microplastics in our oceans," Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group, highlighted.

Photo: Wärtsilä