OUR PROJECTS
This is where the magic happens
At Nomad Plastic, what drives us is to bring projects together, piece by piece, by integrating our Model: from the community engagement & waste collection, the plastic waste transformation into fuel, the business traction and fuel offtake and finally the support and allocation of revenue to nature regeneration.
We are close to completing our first flagship project in Indonesia and are ready to start replicating to other locations.
OUR
FLAGSHIP
Regenerative
& plastic-powered
cruises in Indonesia
PROJECT
Leveraging sustainable tourism to protect biodiversity
The reason of the whole business started with this question: how to explore these magnificent regions while giving back to nature and reducing the footprint as much as possible?
The concept went way over the mainstream "eco-tourism" as it became purpose-driven to the point that it became a leverage to develop education and waste collection then transformation program as well supporting nature conservation projects. Way beyond the scope of the cruises, it inspired us to bring the project to a higher level and build a replicable Model.
Waste Collection
Starting with local communities
The first thing we did as we got started in 2019 was to create a local NGO (Yayasan) Nomad Nol Plastik under our Nomad Community program. With a few staff pioneering the program and adjusting the approach as we went, we reached now several years later, an efficient way to address local communities and trigger change. It would be lying to say it is an easy job but the result is all the more encouraging and from now on, expansion and replication can only be easier.
We now have locally regular waste pickups organized with selected champions across several coastal villages and islands. We team up with other NGOs to capture even more plastic residue in order to send it for transformation (Nomad Energy).
Community engagement
Finding a solution to transform low-value plastics
As we were started to have a structured waste collection program, it became more and more pressing to have a solution other than landfill, even it was already better than dumping in the Ocean or burning. This is how we started teaming up with Geo Trash Management (GTM) in Indonesia, developing a waste-to-fuel solution, ideal for low-value plastics, labeled as non-recyclable.
The link with our business traction (cruising business) was then pretty straightforward as the cruising boats could be the main fuel offtakers on top of other local usage.
With a capacity of around 200 tonnes of plastics transformed per year, it enables the production of roughly 130,000 L of fuel.
Plastic waste transformation into fuel
Fueling cruising boats
in Komodo & Flores
Economic traction
& fuel offtake
After distillation, the pyrolysis oil is separated into mainly diesel and gasoline (roughly 55,000 L of each per year). This is enough to supply two full diesel-engine cruising boats over a year. Gasoline can be used for small dinghies and local vehicles like motorbikes etc as well as local livelihoods. With the fuel cost rising over 1.3$ per liter, this solution enables to keep prices lower and keep them stable. The pyrolysis fuel has a higher calorific value (enabling 17% fuel saving for the same distance and most importantly 70% CO2 emission reduction over the whole lifecycle). It is important to note that is a transition solution only and that more sober solutions will be needed.
Allocating revenue to Marine Protected Areas
Visiting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with the cruises and also allocating revenue directly to them is a way to close the cycle.
Besides keeping resources for the operation's cashflow, all the profit (meaning at least half) is allocated to nature regeneration. For an activity like this, it means at least $50,000 per year which is enough to make a significant impact locally.
The revenue-generating waste-to-fuel operations also enables the allocation of a budget for nature.
Study trip in the Banggai islands (now MPA)
Resulting Impact within projects
Plastic waste reduction, collection, transformation
Revenue generated from new resilient & more sustainable local businesses
CO2 emissions' reduction
(lower carbon fuel & avoided emissions)
Jobs creation, Improvement of living/working conditions (health, hygiene, salary)
Biodiversity protection (ha of protected areas, mangrove restoration etc)
Education of local communities, workshops, empowerment
Projects' development Roadmap
0. Feasibility study, investment in pyrolysis developer and operator (GTM), feedstock and offtake secured, NGO up and running (2019-2022)
1. Complete the first project in Indonesia (2023)
2. Replicate with branches in other locations & Capital raising (2024/2025 onwards)
3. Accelerate expansion with a franchising & leasing model (2025 onwards)
