Trials are under way at the Associated British Port (ABP) of Southampton of the HullWiper (
www.hullwiper.co) — a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that uses variable-pressure sea-water jets (instead of brushes or abrasive) to clean hulls, minimising the risk of damage to costly anti-fouling coatings.
By using the ROV to remove fouling from their vessels’ hulls, shipowners can avoid the expense of re-coating in case of damage.
As no divers are used, there is no risk to human life, and cleaning can be conducted during the day
or at night, in most weather conditions, even while cargo operations are under way.
Simon Doran, managing director of HullWiper, said: “The ROV provides an affordable, safe and eco-friendly alternative to traditional hull-cleaning methods.
“Its addition to the portfolio of services available at the port will add further economical, practical and environmental advantages to Southampton.”
The removed material is not discharged into the sea, as with traditional cleaning methods; it is collected onboard and disposed of in compliance with local environmental regulations.
Launched in Dubai in December 2013, HullWiper now operates in ports in Sweden, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.