SINCE 2022, Holcim Philippines has been advancing its commitment to sustainability and circularity through the Circular Explorer, a pioneering solar-powered catamaran designed to recover marine litter, promote recycling, and support cutting-edge marine science in partnership with local and international institutions.
The 100 percent solar-powered vessel serves as a floating laboratory that gathers microplastic samples and oceanographic data in partnership with the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, contributing to the country’s national plastics tracker and supporting evidence-based policymaking. More than 350 microplastic samples have been analyzed, helping improve pollution-pathway modeling and the development of two artificial intelligence models that can rapidly identify plastic particles.
The project has also been used to train more than 150 researchers and educators from 50 universities and government agencies in the Philippines and Malaysia in ocean monitoring, plastics analysis and advanced research methods.
According to UP Marine Science Institute Director Laura David, “The Circular Explorer project has contributed greatly to the advancement of marine science in the Philippines. Through our partnership, researchers have gathered crucial data on marine biodiversity and the pathways of plastic pollution in the country.”
The vessel has become a central research platform for microplastics studies, generating data for Manila Bay pollution tracking and supporting publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Education and outreach are another major component of the program. Government-endorsed learning toolkits on circularity and marine conservation have reached more than 4,000 students and trained over 80 teachers across schools around Manila Bay.
The Circular Explorer has also received international recognition for its work in waste management and environmental, social and governance performance, underscoring the role of science, data and community engagement in protecting the country’s marine ecosystems.
Source: Solar-powered vessel advances Philippine marine science and plastic research
