System 002 | Milestones | The Ocean Cleanup

Following System 001/B’s return to shore, the team further adapted the design of our ocean cleanup technology. The end result: System 002, aka Jenny. At the end of July 2021, we returned to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to test this latest iteration. Based on cumulative insights from System 001 and System 001/B, this latest experimental cleanup platform is both large-scale (800 meters in length) and operational. The aim of this design is to catch plastic more efficiently and effectively versus previous builds, and, based on our estimations, we expect it to be more commercially viable for scale-up.

To succeed in our mission, we need a cleanup technology that not only captures plastic but whose design and operation are suited for growth into a global fleet. System 001/B (2019), achieved a relative speed difference that resulted in effective collection and retention of plastic. However, in order to achieve a goal of 90% reduction of floating ocean plastic by 2040, its parachute sea anchor design would require us to deploy hundreds of systems. To us, this is unfeasible, so we continued to advance our research and design. With a persistent problem that grows worse by the day, there is an urgency to reduce pollution as quickly as possible.

Using the learnings and data collected from the operation of System 001 and 001/B, we formulated a design for System 002. One key design improvement is the incorporation of active propulsion to move the system slightly faster than the flow of plastic in the water and maintain a continuous stable speed difference. We are also introducing the ability to steer the system, to reposition operations as needed into zones that have the highest density of plastic. Learn more about the design of System 002 on the Oceans page.

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