Mobula 8.2 and Mobula 10: what are the differences? The test bench

Given the vast scale of plastic pollution in our waters, The SeaCleaners realized that it was necessary to have “small” plastic waste collection boats to tackle smaller sources of plastic pollution, in addition to the Manta, which will focus on collecting large slicks of waste in river mouths and estuaries, or in coastal waters.

Manta Innovation, the engineering office of The SeaCleaners, has been commissioned to develop 2 aquatic depollution boats:

• The Mobula 8: an easy-to-handle boat for collecting plastic waste in rivers, lakes, marinas and on the seashore.
• The Mobula 10: a boat adapted to “coastal waters”, which can go a little further offshore, in rivers with moderate currents, or in large lakes, river mouths or estuaries.

Manta Innovation launched the development of these 2 boats with the Paimpol-based company EFINOR Sea Cleaner, which specializes in the production of aluminum pollution clean-up boats.

The Mobula 8, the first boat launched by The SeaCleaners, is also known as the “Swiss Army knife”, thanks to its multiple functionalities. It left the shipyard in spring 2021 in Paimpol, and after a period of tests and presentations in France, it has been operating in Bali, Indonesia since early 2023.

Feedback from the collection and transit operations of this 1st Mobula in Indonesia has enabled us to improve its design. The goal is simple: to pass on these improvements to the two Mobula 8s (currently in construction at Paimpol). The new version will benefit from a larger capacity basket and even more functional deck ergonomics.

This highly technical boat includes the following functions :

• Collection of floating solid waste, with a large 0.4m3 capacity basket (i.e. up to 100kg of waste collected in a single lift), which is then stored in big bags (maximum on-board storage capacity of 2.4 tonnes).
• Collection of liquid waste (such as hydrocarbons), thanks to the “double flow” technology developed and patented by EFINOR Sea Cleaner, which is stored in a dedicated 600-liter settling tank located at the stern of the boat.
• Collection of micro-waste (mainly for scientific use) thanks to its “double-flow” suction system and a filter that captures micro-waste suspended in the water to a depth of 80cm.

With its suction system, the Mobula 8 can collect waste (floating under a pontoon or between 2 boats moored in a harbor) while stationary!

• The boat is equipped with a waste sorting table that allows an operator to immediately discharge into the water any organic waste and fauna that may have been collected in the basket, thus maximizing plastic waste storage on deck and preserving biodiversity.
• It can also approach and come into contact with docks or banks, as its bow is equipped with protective rollers. This facilitates the collection of waste that accumulates on the banks and along the quays.
• It is also equipped with a motor-driven pump to remove waste encrusted on the banks or in the vegetation. This waste, often inaccessible during land-based collections, can then be vacuumed up and collected.

Thanks to its dimensions, the Mobula 8, with a length of 9.20 m, has been designed to be easily transported once its deck platforms have been folded down and its flanges removed, as its reduced width is then road-gauge.

By deploying its deck platforms in operation, the boat can be widened from 2.4 m to 3.4 m, maximizing on-board waste storage capacity.

This boat is designed for daytime operation by 2 crew members: 1 pilot and 1 sorting operator. It has no cabin, just an open cockpit.

The Mobula 8 – let’s talk performance:

• The Mobula 8 is a workboat, approved by French Maritime Affairs, used to collect at a speed of around 2 knots, and can reach 7 knots in the transit phase (to reach the collection sites and then return to the waste unloading site).
• Its large waste storage capacity, up to 2.4 tonnes, enables it to carry out all-day collection operations without having to return to the unloading site several times a day, thus increasing its collection capacity and minimizing its environmental footprint.

In a brief overview

• The 1st Mobula 8 is currently in operation in Bali, Indonesia.
• The 2nd Mobula 8, called Mobula 8.2, will be launched at the end of 2023, and after a test phase scheduled for Paimpol in early 2024, will be ready for operation (demonstrations or collection operations).

The second boat developed by Manta Innovation with EFINOR is called the Mobula 10.

The first Mobula 10 will be launched at the end of 2023, and after the test phase scheduled for Paimpol in early 2024, it will be ready for shipment to its place of operation.

The specifications for the Mobula 10 drawn up by Manta Innovation incorporate The SeaCleaners’ desire for a boat capable of collecting waste further out to sea, unlike the Mobula 8 which has to be content with skirting the coast.

Unlike the Mobula 8, which is capable of collecting a wide range of waste (micro- and macro-waste, solid and liquid), the Mobula 10 is dedicated to collecting floating macro-waste, and is equipped with a conveyor belt that enables it to tackle the larger slicks of waste that can be found off the coast or in river mouths.

The Mobula 10 integrates the following functions:

• Collection of floating solid waste, with a collection belt enabling it to collect up to 25m3/h (i.e. around 1000 kg/h of plastic waste in the case of collection in a dense slick).
• Sorting by means of a sorting table, which allows any organic waste and fauna that may have been carried up by the collection belt to be discharged into the water.
• Storage of collected and sorted waste in big bags (with a maximum on-board storage capacity of 3 tonnes). A jib crane is installed centrally on deck to facilitate big bag unloading operations.
• Docking (the boat can “beacher”) to get very close to beaches and even dock there.
• Traction of a floating waste collection net (a system currently under development by Manta Innovation).

This 10.9 m long, 3.92 m wide boat cannot be transported as easily as the Mobula 8. Manta Innovation has given priority to space on deck for sorting and storing waste. On the other hand, to facilitate handling, the Mobula 10 is fitted with 4 chainplates, making it “easy” to crane the boat.

Like the Mobula 8, the Mobula 10 is designed for daytime operation by a minimum of 2 crew members: 1 pilot and 1 sorting operator. Although these 2 crew members are sufficient for operations, the boat can welcome up to 6 people on board.

Mobula 10 – let’s talk performance:

• The Mobula 10 is a workboat, approved by French Maritime Affairs, used to collect waste at a speed of around 2 knots, and can reach 15 knots in the transit phase (to reach collection sites and then return to the waste unloading site).
• It is equipped with 2 150 hp outboard motors, enabling it to sail further away from the coast than the Mobula 8, and to maneuver and navigate in waters with stronger currents.
• Its large waste storage capacity, up to 3 tonnes, means it can carry out collection operations all day long without having to return to the unloading site several times a day, increasing its collection capacity and minimizing its environmental footprint.

In a brief overview

• The Mobula 10 can be used for clean-up operations further offshore.
• Dedicated to collecting floating plastic macro-waste
• In operation soon

In short, what a step forward for the Mobula fleet!
We can’t wait to put these new boats in the water, and to share with you the services they will render to our oceans.