PortBin: making ports cleaner

New Norwegian technology helping to solve waste problems in ports

Four ports in southern Norway are now using new, Norwegian-developed technology to collect
waste from the water surface.

Littering is having an impact on water quality in Norwegian ports. Some areas are becoming
increasingly polluted. “There is too much waste floating around in Norwegian ports. 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, ” says Trond Lindheim, manager of SpillTech, the
Sandefjord-based company behind the new technology.

Automated waste collector

SpillTech’s main competence is oil spill containment and clean up. It has now used its knowledge to
create an automated waste collector for use in ports’ “trash coves”. The new waste collector, dubbed
PortBin Fixed, has been developed over the past year in cooperation with the port of Sandefjord and
with 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,” explains Lindheim.

Huge problem

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. Also,
PortBin is being deployed in the port of Copenhagen.

The idea is that waste collectors can be placed in “trash coves ” in or around the ports. Trash coves
are areas where current, wind, and tide accumulate floating waste explains Lindheim.

“Waste in the sea is a huge problem, and we also see it impacting our ports and harbours. The most
important solution to this problem is to stop littering but that is not easy so we also need to develop
new tools to collect the increasing amount of waste,” adds Lindheim.

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

See PortBin in action by clicking on the video http://spilltech.no/portbin/index.html

and here

For more information contact: