Cleaning the barnacles and seaweed off the underwater hull of a containership is typically a labor-intensive job performed by scuba divers equipped with specialized brushes. And they need to work fast, since vessel operators aren’t making any money while their ships sit idle. But the task is still worth doing, since a ship with a clean hull moves more efficiently through the water, which reduces its fuel costs while boosting its speed.
A French port recently launched an innovative program that will allow it to offer an alternative hull cleaning solution for vessels calling at the facility. The Port of Dunkirk’s repair and maintenance operation, Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque, has signed a lease agreement with the United Arab Emirates-based company HullWiper Ltd. for technology that quickly scrubs the hulls of visiting vessels with robots.
Under terms of the deal, HullWiper will provide an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that uses adjustable seawater jets to remove “biofouling” without damaging hull coatings. HullWiper’s system also includes an integrated cleaning skirt, helping it to collect fouling material for safe disposal onshore, preventing the spread of invasive marine species. That’s an important feature for locations subject to strict environmental regulations, since it allows operators to use topside capture and filtration systems to demonstrate the filtered waste and comply with disposal standards.
“By partnering with HullWiper, we will offer a sustainable, high-performance hull cleaning solution that meets strict environmental regulations, reduces downtime, and ensures vessels meet both local and international anti-biofouling standards,” Arnaud Chotard, managing director of Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque, said in a release.
