Samenvatting

This study was born out of concern that current methods for sludge disposal negatively impact the ecosystem. One method to alleviate this is to break down sludge through biological processes. This study aimed to gauge if there is sufficient impetus to develop a sludge disposal system using modified organisms.
To accomplish this, two avenues of research were employed; desk research and a survey. The desk research focused on the theoretical side of the petrochemistry and biology involved and currently employed methods. This established that developing such a system is possible, but other effective systems exist. The survey measured interest in such as system was measured among shipowners. Unfortunately, very little response was received. However, it was concluded from the survey that there is no interest among shipowners in developing such a system. Thus, the final verdict is an insufficient impetus to develop a ship bourne bioreactor capable of digesting fuel sludge using modified organisms.