Silt & foreign object removal underwater
The Challenge Owner undertakes maintenance of sea-going vessels in docking bays that are approximately 40 years old. Silt has accumulated to an estimated depth of 2m at the base of the 20m deep bays and must now be removed, along with sundry other items of debris which have fallen in. Space and headroom constraints mean that traditional dredging methods are not applicable. The challenge is to remove the (contaminated) silt and manage its disposal, using equipment that can access the dock below water from the dock entrance or else has very low height or can operate remotely.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
02/09/2019
Challenge closes
18/10/2019
Benefit
Background
The Innovation Exchange programme is working alongside a large UK company that supports portside working and shipping. This business is looking to engage innovators and innovative companies that can help them solve significant challenges in relation to supporting port or ship based activities.
The client is looking to identify transferable solutions to solve its present set of business problems. The client will engage with innovators to support development of solutions if they need to be made to suit harsher conditions of working and selected innovators could receive additional support to take their solution to the next level of development.
The Client operates from locations that are situated throughout the UK and has facilities across the world. As part of their operations the business carries out dockyard maintenance in docking bays that may be circa 40 years old. Over that time a significant volume of silt has built up and requires removal to ensure continued safe operations.
This challenge applies to a number of locations across the client’s locations and applies to any difficult to access docking bays. Until now the silt has not been managed in a systematic way and so there could now be a volume of circa 15,000 cubic metres to be removed over a length of 120 metres at a silt depth of 2 metres. Since the build up has taken place over a long period of time it is expected to be contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbons and it is likely that other random foreign objects will be found; radios and scaffolding for example, along with other normal dockside debris.
The dockyard bays are covered, which means that traditional dredging cannot be used, therefore the solution cannot access the silt from dredging cranes or high lifting. Instead it will need to either be ‘driven’ in, underwater from the bay entrance, or the technique will need to be low in height or operated from a distance.
The Dock has a smooth bottom and this may allow a tracked vehicle to operate within the working area. Working depth should be considered to be around 20 metres and the silt is thought to be reasonably even in size and texture as it would have settled from normal sea deposits.
The client is looking to use or adapt a proven solution to deal with the issue, while complying with all health, safety and environmental issues. This solution will ideally remove the silt in one operation rather than over time and this needs to be completed within 24 months. Expertise on future silt prevention would be welcomed.
Rationale
1. Improved access and safety for dockyard bays
2. Ensure that ships designed to fit the dock can still do so
3. Enable work to be carried out using the design size bays
4. To ensure that environmental issues are dealt with and managed
The challenge owner is actively looking for solutions that will:
1. Lift and remove all of the silt and foreign objects
2. Be effective from a distance or be controlled from a distance
3. Ensure silt is handled in a safe and environmentally conscious manner, moved to a point of disposal
4. Remove 15,000 cubic metres of silt (and assorted debris), Moved to a point of disposal within 24 months
(The challenge owner is open to discussions on the relocation of the silt and safe disposal).
Whilst not limiting the technologies from solution providers, it is expected that solutions would consider innovations from some of the following areas:
• Marine engineers
• Dredging specialists
• Slurry pump manufacturers
• Offshore wind engineers - cable drones
• Undersea drones
• Oil and Gas
• Mining & quarrying
- Construction
• Silt extraction companies
• Waste management and disposal
• Contaminated land remediation
• Undersea surveying and working companies
A working knowledge of safe routes of disposal would be considered helpful and collaborations would be welcome to ensure all aspects of the tasks can be covered.
The challenge owner will not consider solutions that involve:
• Anything that cannot operate from a distance
• Anything that is not suitable for underwater operations
• Anything that does not include a method for moving silt to a disposal route
Rewards and Benefits
Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to pitch to the Challenger. The package may also include:
• Support from the Catapult networks and the KTN
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot
• Technical support
• Invitation to attend or present at KTN or Catapult events
• A potential business collaboration
• Investor introductions (if investment is required)
• Support if any innovate or similar competitions are relevant
Functional Requirements
• An efficient method of removing underwater silt
• Able to deal with foreign objects
• Able to deal with contamination
• Ways to reduce future silt built up
• A proven system/technique
Technical Characteristics
• Minimal head room above the water
• Max depth of silt 2m
• Max dock depth 22m
• 62m long by 22m wide
Operating Conditions
• Probably a one-off operation
• To be removed in maximum 24months
• Could be contracted
Deployment Timescale
• Launch of the Competition: 2nd September 2019
• Deadline for applications: 18th of October 2019
• Selection and notification of finalists: 25th October 2019
• Solutions should be deployable ASAP
Cost requirement and market opportunity
• Costs will be assessed based on proven ability to deal with issue within required timescales
Eligibility and assessment criteria
Entrants to this competition must be:
• Established businesses, startups, SMEs or individual entrepreneurs
• UK based or have the intention to set up a UK base
Applications will be assessed on:
• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/Ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the UK and European Market
IP and Potential Commercial Route
• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP not be disclosed, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).
• Innovate UK and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial venture through the iX programme