Nice launches new pollution-fighting boat to keep coastal waters clean
Nice has launched a new €200,000 pollution-control boat capable of removing hydrocarbons, microplastics and floating waste, further strengthening efforts to keep the city's coastal waters clean.
The City of Nice has strengthened its efforts to protect the Mediterranean coastline with the launch of a new pollution-control vessel capable of removing both floating waste and oil-based pollution from the sea.
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Named Nice VI, the new boat officially entered service this week and joins the city's existing fleet dedicated to keeping the waters along the Promenade des Anglais clean throughout the busy summer season.
While Nice already operates several vessels that collect floating litter, the Nice VI brings a major innovation: it can also recover liquid pollutants such as hydrocarbons and fuel residues directly from the water.
Built by Brittany-based company Efinor Sea Cleaner, the 6.6-metre vessel uses a patented three-stage filtration system designed to capture large debris, microplastics and oil pollution.Its catamaran-style design creates a suction effect between the two hulls, allowing waste to be collected from up to five metres in front of the boat, even when stationary.
The vessel can store up to 1,000 litres of liquid pollutants as well as hundreds of kilograms of solid waste.
The addition of the new boat comes as Nice continues its extensive coastal cleaning programme.
Municipal teams operate seven days a week during the summer, removing around eight tonnes of waste from local waters each year.
Until now, the city had limited options for dealing with hydrocarbon pollution, relying mainly on containment barriers.
The Nice VI now allows crews to actively collect and remove these pollutants before they spread.
The vessel represents an investment of around €200,000 and is expected to play a key role in maintaining water quality along Nice's coastline.