Could the plastic waste polluting the world’s oceans be scooped up and converted into clean hydrogen at sea? That’s the plan behind an innovative concept ship design being developed by New York City headquartered H2 Industries and Hamburg, Germany, naval architect firm TECHNOLOG services GmbH.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at least 14 million tons of plastic wasteend up in the ocean every year. Plastic is found on the shorelines of every continent, with especially high levels of plastic waste found near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.