Say hello to the Interceptor

The Ocean Cleanup’s answer for preventing river plastic waste from entering the oceans.

In cooperation with our Dutch partner eL‑Tec Elektrotechnologie - who is responsible for the electrical installation - Mastervolt is delighted to be involved in this project providing the powered system for the Interceptor. Our rugged products built to perform and withstand the harshest environments, alongside Mastervolt’s vast experience of designing unique electrical systems for use in demanding markets, means the 100 % solar-powered Interceptor has the energy to extract plastic autonomously, and is capable of operating in the majority of the world’s most polluting rivers.

  Courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup.

With Interceptor, The Ocean Cleanup aims to tackle the 1,000 most polluting rivers, responsible for about 80 % of ocean plastic pollution, before the end of 2025. This ambitious target meant a first-class solar and electrical storage and conversion system was required. Mastervolt supplies the energy system for the Interceptor. Twelve 1500 Ah 2 V batteries, a Mass Sine Ultra sine wave inverter and four Solar ChargeMasters feed the 100 % autonomous solar system. The MasterShunt, DC Distribution and MasterBus ModBus Interface enable remote monitoring and communication via the Internet.

   Courtesy of El-Tec Elektrotechnologie, the Netherlands.

The Interceptor is environmentally friendly with onboard Li-ion batteries that enable day and night operation without any noise or exhaust fumes. The system is anchored to the riverbed to utilize the natural flow of the river to catch the plastic and is designed for 24/7 autonomous operation, which further required powered electronics that were going to be able to function all the time. An internet-connected onboard computer monitors the system’s performance, energy usage, and component health.

Mastervolt and eL‑Tec Elektrotechnologie share the same environmental and sustainable aims as The Ocean Cleanup and are proud to contribute to this project that will make a real difference to our oceans. The Interceptor is the first scalable solution to intercept river plastic pollution and can be deployed around the world. It is capable of extracting 50,000 kg of trash per day – even reaching 100,000 kg per day under optimized conditions. Four Interceptors have been built to-date; two systems are already operational in Asia, while the third is destined to be deployed in Vietnam and a fourth is destined to be deployed in the Dominican Republic.

  Courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup.

Learn more about the Interceptor project here.

Or watch the working principle of the Interceptor in this movie.

See here how you can make The Ocean Cleanup a real success story!