Issue 1 - Manufacturing Trials

Manufacturing trials

ALNET, CAPE TOWN

Against the backdrop of green and sustainable solutions in the blue economy, Catchgreen, a cross-sector collaborative research project that aims to address ghost fishing by innovating a biodegradable alternative, conducted its first manufacturing trials between the 26th and 29th of June. The manufacturing trials took place at Alnet, Cape Town, and were conducted together with partners GAIA, FishSA, and Kompost-It. Present at these trials were also representatives from research & piloting organizations KMFRI, I&J, Steenberg, Coastal Cape Kelp, Green House, and our funders from SMEP.

The manufacturing process

A BALANCE BETWEEN STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY

The core objective of the manufacturing trial was to understand the process of the developed biopolymer, particularly its behavior under varied settings (temperature, pressure, processing speed) as well as its functionality. Achieving optimal behavioral limits of the material at its first manufacturing phase meant stretching the boundaries of the measured parameters for practical understanding and improvement of future manufacturing and processing. A certain level of messiness (technical glitches, material wastage) in doing this was thus an inevitable outcome as experienced on the first day of the trial.

The second day was more successful with adjusted settings, which made it possible to produce ropes for specific applications in the first set of planned piloting. Piloting will be conducted in the next six months to test the following applications: modified gillnets, seaweed farming, coral reef restoration, kelp farming; and lobster cages.

Overall, this first process was a success and all partners agreed it was indeed an impressive first manufacturing trial. They were also pleased to be part of a project that makes a difference in the green transformation discourse in the blue economy.