Hawaii's Nets-to-Energy Program and Partnership
Background | Partners | Photos and Video | 1-pager
Download a summary handout of this project (
1.3mb).
Background
Marine debris of all types accumulates in and around the islands of Hawai'i due to oceanic currents and winds in the North Pacific. Much of the debris is made up of derelict fishing nets. Large conglomerations of these nets, sometimes weighing thousands of pounds, are removed from Hawaii's reefs and shores each year. Instead of adding these nets to already congested landfills, Hawaii's multi-partner marine debris group devised a unique program to recycle this marine debris into usable electricity.
The nets are transported to the facility of Schnitzer Steel Hawai'i Corporation, a mainland-based scrap metal recycler. There the nets are chopped into small pieces suitable for combustion at the City and County of Honolulu's H-Power energy from waste facility run by Covanta Energy. Schnitzer Steel Hawai'i Corporation transports the chopped net pieces to the H-Power facility. There the nets are burned, producing steam which drives a turbine that creates usable electricity. All services (transport included) are donated free of charge.
This Nets-To-Energy program is possible only through the partnership and support of Hawaii's multi-organizational marine debris group including the businesses listed above, as well as Matson Navigation Company and Alliance Trucking.
Today, all NOAA-funded marine debris removal projects in Hawai'i incorporate this recycling as a component for success.
Partners
- Alliance Trucking
- Chris Woolaway and Associates, Inc.
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Environmental Services
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Parks and Recreation
- Covanta Energy
- Hawaii Longline Association
- Hawaii Wildife Fund
- Matson Navigation Co.
- Net Patrol (Kauai)
- NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center
- NOAA Marine Debris Program
- NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
- NOAA Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
- Pacific Ocean Producers Fishing and Marine
- Schnitzer Steel Hawaii Corporation
- State of Hawaii, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
- State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources
- Surfrider Foundation, Kauai Chapter
- United Fishing Agency
- US Coast Guard, District 14
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council
Photos
Nets-to-Energy process -- Derelict nets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Nets-to-Energy process -- Derelict nets from the Pier 38 Port Reception facility.
Nets-to-Energy process -- Four projects contributing derelict nets to the Nets-to-Energy process.
Metal-cutting equipment chops nets into smaller pieces suitable for incineration at H-Power.
Click here to view the Hawaii Nets to Energy video by NOAA's Ocean Today Kiosk.
1-pager
Download the 1-pager handout on this project here (pdf 600KB) .
