Every year, more than 12 million tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans. We, the people, are responsible for this. Through our behaviors and consumption, we ingest tens of thousands of plastic particles per year, including through our food, clothing and hygiene products. This in turn can have an impact on our health.

“Our oceans are extremely polluted by almost invisible mountains of waste. This plastic waste threatens biodiversity and the lives of all marine life. The food chains and habitats of animals are being massively disrupted,” says Dr Tilman Flöhr, CTO at everwave.

Toralf Zimmermann remembers: “The commitment and enthusiasm for their cause made a lasting impression on me. However, there were some challenges to be overcome in terms of shipbuilding that did not necessarily correspond to the classic tasks of our designers.” Solutions were quickly found. In cooperation with the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management at RWTH Aachen University, the functionality of two primotype test series was tested in the laboratory. These findings formed the basis for the realization of the first prototype.

Here, the buoyancy bodies were welded and the entire platform was assembled. For Helge Ziems-Gillerke, head of the A&R training department, this project was an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the environment together with the shipyard’s junior staff.

Seeing the finished platform in the Weser and experiencing that the concept works was the absolute highlight for the trainees.