In 2020, NOSCA became an innovation cluster, partly funded (and strongly supported) by Norwegian Authorities, and changed the name to NOSCA Clean Oceans. In the process, the areas of interest were also adjusted to focus on oil spill, unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Through the years, our organization with its members has achieved international respect as an active player in R&D, oil spill prevention and response.
Norway is one of the few countries that has the privilege to benefit from full scale, offshore oil-on-water exercises organized annually by NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies).
This gives the cluster members a unique knowledge base for testing, understanding and improving their products and oil spill preparedness in general.
Oil spill prevention and response is our heritage, and where we through 40 years have developed the basis of knowledge and technology that will bring us forward as a cluster. But there are several problems still to be solved within this area, that we focus on – for instance, equipment and processes suitable for (extremely) cold environments, down-sizing and automation of equipment, establishing technical standards, to name a few.
from algae
When we established the cluster, we quickly decided to also focus on other substances acting as oil – hence, the areas of interest were expanded to include unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Independent of area, our knowledge- and value chain is about “detection”, “classification”, “clean-up” and “disposal”, where we in the last category ideally identify how findings can be resources in new value chains.
When it comes to algae, we are currently looking into the possibility of detecting various micro algae (by satellite, LIDAR, radar, sensors etc.), as basis for an early-warning system for fish farmers, in the event of the algae becoming harmful or toxic. In addition, we are discussing solutions for keeping algae out of fish cages. We are also looking into the possibility of designing a holistic solution to detect, clean up and use Sargassum in the Caribbean. Other topics of interest are handling of unnatural/imported species (like Pacific oysters), and improvement of fjord environments.
When we established the cluster, we quickly decided to also focus on other substances acting as oil – hence, the areas of interest were expanded to include unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Independent of area, our knowledge- and value chain is about “detection”, “classification”, “clean-up” and “disposal”, where we in the last category ideally identify how findings can be resources in new value chains.
In general, we are currently discovering how existing detection technology, booms, pumps, curtains etc. traditionally used within the oil spill area, can be adapted to gather and collect marine littering (including plastic).
Ocean plastic is a huge, international area of interest. At the same time, the problem is without ownership, so the market for equipment that can detect, clean up and re-use such plastic is very immature. To help bolster the development of such markets, we have established “Clean Oceans Products AS” together with Ogoori AS and On Line Reklame AS, where the goal is to establish a complete value chain where ocean plastic is gathered, recycled and re-used into new products.
We are also looking into solutions that can protect “external environment” on construction sites or rock depots in water – how we can limit silt, plastic and other pollution from entering open sea, and how we can gather plastic/litter from surface or water column in a HSE friendly way (through static or autonomous solutions).
In 2020, NOSCA became an innovation cluster, partly funded (and strongly supported) by Norwegian Authorities, and changed the name to NOSCA Clean Oceans. In the process, the areas of interest were also adjusted to focus on oil spill, unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Through the years, our organization with its members has achieved international respect as an active player in R&D, oil spill prevention and response.
Norway is one of the few countries that has the privilege to benefit from full scale, offshore oil-on-water exercises organized annually by NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies).
This gives the cluster members a unique knowledge base for testing, understanding and improving their products and oil spill preparedness in general.
Oil spill prevention and response is our heritage, and where we through 40 years have developed the basis of knowledge and technology that will bring us forward as a cluster. But there are several problems still to be solved within this area, that we focus on – for instance, equipment and processes suitable for (extremely) cold environments, down-sizing and automation of equipment, establishing technical standards, to name a few.
When we established the cluster, we quickly decided to also focus on other substances acting as oil – hence, the areas of interest were expanded to include unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Independent of area, our knowledge- and value chain is about “detection”, “classification”, “clean-up” and “disposal”, where we in the last category ideally identify how findings can be resources in new value chains.
When it comes to algae, we are currently looking into the possibility of detecting various micro algae (by satellite, LIDAR, radar, sensors etc.), as basis for an early-warning system for fish farmers, in the event of the algae becoming harmful or toxic. In addition, we are discussing solutions for keeping algae out of fish cages. We are also looking into the possibility of designing a holistic solution to detect, clean up and use Sargassum in the Caribbean. Other topics of interest are handling of unnatural/imported species (like Pacific oysters), and improvement of fjord environments.
When we established the cluster, we quickly decided to also focus on other substances acting as oil – hence, the areas of interest were expanded to include unwanted effects from algae and ocean plastic.
Independent of area, our knowledge- and value chain is about “detection”, “classification”, “clean-up” and “disposal”, where we in the last category ideally identify how findings can be resources in new value chains.
In general, we are currently discovering how existing detection technology, booms, pumps, curtains etc. traditionally used within the oil spill area, can be adapted to gather and collect marine littering (including plastic).
Ocean plastic is a huge, international area of interest. At the same time, the problem is without ownership, so the market for equipment that can detect, clean up and re-use such plastic is very immature. To help bolster the development of such markets, we have established “Clean Oceans Products AS” together with Ogoori AS and On Line Reklame AS, where the goal is to establish a complete value chain where ocean plastic is gathered, recycled and re-used into new products.
We are also looking into solutions that can protect “external environment” on construction sites or rock depots in water – how we can limit silt, plastic and other pollution from entering open sea, and how we can gather plastic/litter from surface or water column in a HSE friendly way (through static or autonomous solutions).