A new pollution control boat for cleaner waters on the Nice coastline

This Monday, June 15, a new pollution control boat was presented: the Nice 6. This next-generation vessel has the capacity to suction both solid and liquid waste. A functionality that should help reduce massive water pollution from plastics and hydrocarbons in particular.

The Nice 6 thus joins the fleet of the City of Nice’s Cleanliness Department in order to “strengthen the preservation of the coastline and water quality.” And the sea certainly needs it, since this year the association Water and Rivers of Brittany (ERB) classified several coastal sites in the “not recommended” category. Despite this, we can say that Nice is on the right track. The city states that “each year, eight tons of waste are collected in Nice’s waters thanks to the means deployed by the local authority” and the acquisition of the boat is certainly beneficial.

Innovative Technology

Thanks to so-called “dual flow” technology, the 6.60-meter boat can suction 500 kg of solid waste and 1,000 liters of liquid waste. According to Cyril Castello, commercial director of EFINOR Sea Cleaner, the company behind the boat: “between the two hulls of this catamaran there is a water tunnel. We actually create a suction phenomenon with the engine propellers and thanks to this suction, we suction everything within five meters in front of the boat, even when stationary.“

The boat has three levels of filtration for macro waste (bottles, plastic bags…), microplastics and liquid waste (e.g., hydrocarbons). The suction would be safe for marine wildlife. Cyril Castello states: “we have a suction speed that is very low, we work with suction at a speed between one and two knots. So generally, when fish see the boat approaching, they leave. We don’t collect any living creatures.“

An Optimistic Mayor

The mayor of Nice Éric Ciotti was present on the day of the announcement and showed enthusiasm about the boat’s effectiveness. The official explained that faced with boats that discharge pollutants and accidental pollution, the city of Nice must be equipped to respond optimally: “this is a next-generation boat that has just been acquired for an amount of 200,000 euros […] an extremely responsive system […] an essential element for the quality of swimming water that we must offer to the people of Nice […] to those who honor us by coming to Nice.“

He added that water quality is a priority for his team and thanked the “ten sanitation agents who have this unique responsibility in France with three navigation units.” The city also wishes to go further and strengthen its action to limit, particularly at the mouth of the Paillon, the arrival of waste from these waterways, which are usually dry but can rise very rapidly during rainy episodes.

Thus the Nice 6 promises an improvement in cleaning Nice’s waters. The pollution control boat is an understandable and necessary measure to prevent coastal degradation, provide good water quality for swimmers but above all protect Mediterranean fauna and flora. This biodiversity is of course preserved by a set of laws and safeguards but there is still progress to be made to guarantee the cleanliness of the coastline.