New Hull-cleaning Robot Promises Bunker Savings

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday December 23, 2013

A new remote-control vessel-cleaning vehicle from a GAC Group subsidiary promises a cost-effective, eco-friendly method of cleaning ships' hulls without the need for divers, the company, GAC EnvironHull, said in an emailed press release.

The vessel, called HullWiper, is 3 x 1/5 x 0.8 meters in size and can clean up to 2,000 cubic meters of hull per hour.

The HullWiper does not damage antifouling surfaces and takes seven hours to clean the vertical sides of a very large crude carrier (VLCC), a job the company says would take twice as long for divers using conventional methods, while avoiding safety hazards.

Cleaning a vessel's hull has been shown to significantly improve its performance in reducing both fuel use and emissions.

Hull coating maker International Paint said in September that it has seen an increased interest in its products from ship owners who are concerned about the effects of poor hull condition on bunker consumption.