Ca rgo vessels could emerge as a potential solution to one of the world's most pressing challenges: water scarcity.According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the world has lost one-third of its remaining wetlands since 1970, while freshwater wildlife populations have, on average, dropped by 83%.This trend has contributed to growing numbers of people facing water shortages and food insecurity, as rivers and lakes have dried up, pollution has increased and food sources, such as freshwater fisheries, have dwindled. At least four billion people, almost two-thirds of the world’s population, experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.But a new project by three former seafarers employed by Maersk, optimising existing freshwater generation systems onboard container vessels, could deliver a solution to address some of the challenges around water scarcity.Cargo ships undertaking global trade are equipped with freshwater generator systems that produce clean drinking water by distilling seawater using heat energy harnessed from their engines. Traditionally, this system has been used to generate water only for consumption onboard the vessels. However, the excess water produced has been overlooked. Through this innovative project, this untapped resource has been capitalised on by optimising the process and storing the excess water in tank containers before delivering it to parched ports.Each vessel can fill two tank containers on an average sea voyage between two ports. With the process optimised and tank containers stored at the right location onboard, two tank containers with a combined capacity of 50 000 litres can be filled with fresh water. Amongst the first pilot runs were deliveries at the Port of Colombo and Port of Salalah of two tank containers, each filled with 25 000 litres of fresh water.“The first tank container of fresh water delivered by Maersk from its vessel is an important milestone that has the potential to pave the path for a larger scheme of things. This project opens doors for many more ships moving around the world, which can replicate this system and create an incredibly large supply of fresh water that is being delivered all around the world to address the ever-increasing challenge of water scarcity,” Maersk said in a statement.The fresh water produced and distributed via this pioneering initiative can serve a multitude of purposes, especially in arid ports. It can support essential needs such as sanitation, cleaning, ship repair operations, container washing, firefighting efforts, and even power generation, offering a versatile solution to address water scarcity challenges in maritime environments.
