Caribbean’s first-ever marine waste reception and processing facility launched
The
Caribbean’s first marine waste reception and processing facility has been
launched in the Bahamas.
Earlier this
year, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab launched a ‘Blue Tech
Challenge’ for entities across the Caribbean that are applying new technologies
or solutions to foster long-term sustainability of the ocean economy.
At the end of the competition in March, the Clean Marine Group Limited, a private early stage firm in Grand Bahama, was selected as a winner in The Bahamas.
The company
uses a patented cavitation technology to process liquid wastes from marine
vessels so that these vessels can comply with MARPOL (International Convention
for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and thus reduce marine pollution in
the Bahamas.
The IDB Lab
announced the approval for the co-financing of a US$1.5 million loan for the
expansion of the port reception and processing facility, along with US$276,000
to promote the creation of public goods that benefit the population and
governing bodies of The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean through activities that
help to improve the regulatory framework for MARPOL in the region.
