Novel methods of spill containment and debris mitigation on water surfaces

Unexpected forced shutdowns of power plants, due to blockages of cooling water intake facilities by floating debris, cause substantial operational risks, capital loss and affect the reliability of the electricity supply. The project will develop a new technology for debris mitigation and spill containment, which will isolate and stop spreading spills and redirect surface pollutants without using physical boundaries. The laboratory demonstration prototype, which will be built as part of this project, can be scaled-up to demonstrate industrial applications such as the mitigation of blockages in water intakes of power plants and oil spill containment in estuaries.