Tag: hull cleaning

Japanese shipping company “K” Line has joined forces with 'non-destructive testing' company Technos Mihara Corporation on a development project using an innovative method for ship hull inspection and maintenance by a drone and image analysis system.

Cargo hold cleaning constitutes one critical aspect of the complex bulk carrier operations. A conventional bulk carrier may transport coal this week and soya beans the next week, which requires thorough wash-downs and cleaning. In this regard, Danish shipping company Norden announced it has tested a cargo hold robot which can be remotely operated to prevent risk and delays. 

BIMCO and a group of industry partners have set out to create an internationally recognised standard for hull biofouling. The standard aspires to ensure that the cleaning process is safe and effective. Currently, the standard undergoes practical trials, in order to send it to appropriate international organisations for endorsement.

During his presentation at the last GREEN4SEA Conference, Dr. Ioannis Arabatzis, CEO, Nanophos, attempted to clarify the misty landscape of underwater marine coatings, for non-chemists. He namely presented contemporary chemical technologies in the market, in a simplified, understandable way and formulated the checkpoints for a successful selection of a hull coating system.

A new paper addresses the impact of periodic hull cleaning on oil tankers concluding that periodic hull cleaning leads to a significant reduction in the daily fuel consumption and hull cleaning energy efficiency effect is greater when the vessel is sailing laden rather than in the ballast condition.

New Zealand’s Craft Risk Management Standard requires all vessels arriving shall have a clean hull or adhere to biofouling management best practices. As only few months are left for compliance, the country’s Ministry for Primary Industries encourages operators to contact staff to discuss compliance options for their vessels.

GAC Egypt announced that expanded its HullWiper hull cleaning system to vessels berthing at ports in the Suez Canal.  The eco-friendly remotely operated vehicle has already attended its first vessel, respectively a crude oil tanker.

Coatings manufacturer Hempel announced that it is launching two new antifouling coatings with the aim to offer potential 2.5 per cent reduction in speed loss resulting in significant fuel savings and lower CO2 emissions improving the operational efficiency of a vessel and minimizing the operator's environmental footprint.

The first hull cleaning of a cruise vessel has been completed in Copenhagen. The removal of marine fouling from the DFDS Group’s 2,800 DWT ‘Pearl Seaways’, which serves routes between Copenhagen and Oslo, marked the latest in more than 550 hull cleans carried out by the pioneering remotely operated vehicle worldwide.