Valencia, Spain – Telefónica Tech will showcase a pilot project employing connected aquatic drones to remove waste and microplastics from marine environments at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next month. The initiative, developed in partnership with the Port Authority of Valencia and supported by the Valenciaport Foundation and Marina Port Valencia, aims to address the growing problem of marine pollution.
The project utilizes drones manufactured by RanMarine, integrated through Plastfree Ocean, capable of collecting up to 500 kilograms of floating waste daily. These drones operate with up to eight hours of battery life and a range exceeding 20 kilometers. Equipped with video cameras and LiDAR sensors, the drones navigate autonomously, avoiding obstacles using IoT-5G connectivity. Data and images collected are transmitted to a monitoring and analysis platform.
Telefónica Tech’s involvement centers on providing the necessary IoT and 5G connectivity, crucial for the drones’ autonomous operation and data transmission. The company will present the project on March 4th at MWC during a session titled ‘Marine sustainability in action: IoT, 5G and aquatic drones tackling waste and microplastics’ at its stand in the Agora.
The initiative comes as studies estimate that plastics account for between 60% and 80% of all marine litter, posing a significant threat to wildlife and potentially human health. Telefónica Tech’s approach leverages sensorisation, advanced connectivity and drone technology to combat this pollution.
La Marina de València is too undertaking a separate digitization project with Telefónica Tech, focused on transforming the supply of electricity and water to boats into an intelligent system. This project, utilizing IDoT technology, CapaciCard, and blockchain, aims to create a “port 4.0” environment, allowing for remote consumption monitoring and new services like internet access for boat owners. This project was initially presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2022.
Telefónica previously showcased innovations at the Mobile World Congress in 2024, including spatial computing for holographic meetings and immersive virtual reality experiences for sports viewing, at a demonstration held in Valencia for private sector businesses and public administration representatives.
