It is not always easy to find owners willing to pilot-test an onboard remotely-operated proactive hull cleaning unit, but this was not the case with Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Jotun found a partner in the Norwegian/Swedish shipping company who shared their vision for a more environmentally friendly maritime sector.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a true global giant into the shipping industry as it owns a fleet of 126 RoRo vessels, 11 marine terminals and 71 processing centres around the world, as well as a long and proud history of sea freight.
The importance of sustainability
Among the priorities of the shipping company is the
commitment to seek increasingly sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. For ten years, the company has produced an annual Sustainability Report, which describes the initiatives taken to safeguard life underwater and reduce any type of emissions: from weather routing to engine optimization, hull coatings to sophisticated hydrodynamic hull, rudder and propeller design.
"In 2019, the company reduced CO2 emissions by 11% over the previous year, thanks to some technical improvements made," says Geir Fagerheim, SVP Marine Operations for Wallenius Wilhelmsen. The company is also a member of "Getting to Zero Coalition", an alliance of over 90 companies in the maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance sectors, which are collaborating to develop commercially viable zero-emission ships by 2030. "Reaching zero-emission ships won't be easy, but by working together we can accelerate the development of technologies that can make a difference. Jotun Hull Skating Solutions definitely fits this description".
What is Hull Skating Solutions?
Jotun Hull Skating Solutions consists of five components:
- high performance antifouling coating SeaQuantum Skate;
- proactive condition monitoring;
- inspection and proactive cleaning with advanced underwater robotic Jotun HullSkater;
- high-end technical service performance;
- service level guarantees that fit the most challenging operations.
First tests
In 2016, Jotun first tested the system on board one of Wallenius Wilhelmsen's vessels. "As it was a radically new approach to hull maintenance, at first our team was sceptical, but once we learned that Jotun had developed a prototype in collaboration with KONGSBERG and the Swedish technology company Semcon, among other partners, we decided to participate. Jotun Hull Skating Solutions has proven to be a solution that is totally consistent with our business strategy and sustainability goals", admits Fagerheim.
Hull Skating Solutions HSS, unlike most hull cleaning services, is proactive, non-reactive. This means that the product removes the slime and fouling before the organisms have time to attach themselves firmly to the hull. Consequently, HSS not only helps owners reduce fuel costs and corresponding emissions, but helps ships comply with increasingly stringent local and global regulations aimed to protect marine ecosystems", he adds.
In 2017, HSS was applied on Talisman, a DWT 38500 RoRo carrier. Unlike reactive hull cleaning services offered at many ports, owners install the Hull Skater on board. "High powered magnets attach the unit to the hull, allowing it to perform underwater inspections and proactive cleaning using HD cameras and a specially designed brush that does not damage the antifouling coating or release biocides into the water," explains Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun's Business Development Director (Marine).
The HSS Project Team applied antifouling test patches on the hull, installed the unit on board and provided training for crew members on maintenance, deployment, retrieval and storage of the unit. Once underwater, the unit is remotely controlled. "We are able to manage Hull Skater units around the world 24 hours a day from our control centre based in Norway", says Oftedahl. "From various experiences we have observed that depending on the size of the ship, cleaning and inspection can take between 2-8 hours".
The collaboration with Wallenius Wilhelmsen and other vessels owners, including Berge Bulk and Maersk, provided the project team with valuable information on what worked and what didn't, gave us the opportunity to test the unit in different operating conditions, as well as helped us to work with port authorities to ensure that we could operate in accordance with local regulations", says Oftedahl.
Establish agreements with port authorities
Over the past two years, Jotun's product has been successfully tested on ships worldwide. Today, the paint manufacturer is working to establish agreements with some ports for the appropriate documentation required. As HSS represents a totally new and revolutionary technology on the market, there are no standards to comply with.
Benefits of using HSS include reducing bunker costs, meeting the increasingly stringent needs of owners of goods and complying with emissions and alien invasive species. With Hull Skating Solutions we make one step closer to a more environmentally responsible industry", says Oftedahl.