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| - The Odeep One factory ship, moored in Sete port in southeastern France, is joining the battle against coronavirus with a mission to produce millions of bottles of hydroalcoholic solution for use in hand sanitisers. "Solidarity and safety at sea is in the DNA of any sailor" said Regis Revilliod, owner of Odeep One and founder of OFW Ships. "The French people are lacking these products and we have everything set up. We are obliged to do something to help our citizens," he said. The former Soviet train-ferry is no stranger to dangerous material like ethanol. Since December those aboard have been producing bottles of drinking water from desalinated seawater. In just ten days the company has refitted its production lines to produce hydroalcoholic solution, much in demand these days in the making of disinfectant for hands, especially for health workers. France is among the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic with 5,387 deaths. Since Wednesday, the 39 sailors and chemists onboard the Odeep One have been working day and night on their new mission. "On day one we produced ten tonnes of bottles in 12 hours," said the ship's technical director Charles Denise. The daily output is set to increase on a daily basis up to 765,000 bottles per week, an unprecedented figure in France, the company promises. But for that to happen the ship needs to be supplied with ethanol. "We don't have any problems for the moment... but we will need regular deliveries day and night," the shipowner said. ysp/est/pvh
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