HullWiper joins forces with World Subsea Services for sustainable hull cleaning

HullWiper has entered into a partnership with World Subsea Services to bring sustainable and affordable hull cleaning solutions to vessels calling at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

World Subsea Services joins forces with HullWiper under the lease agreement introduced in 2017, which works with partners around the world to offer ship owners and operators an alternative to traditional hull cleaning methods.

HullWiper’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is said to provide an eco-friendly, safe alternative to traditional methods of hull cleaning which use divers with brushes or karts.

The company’s onboard filter unit technology makes hull cleaning operations possible while the vessel is in port, day, or night, in most weather conditions and whilst cargo operations are underway, HullWiper said.

In-water hull cleaning specialist describes the ROV as 100% environmentally friendly. It uses adjustable seawater jets as the cleaning medium instead of brushes or abrasives, to minimise the risk of damage to coatings.

Removing fouling from vessels’ hulls results in optimal performance, energy efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, and avoids the expense of re-coating in case of damage. No divers are used, so there is no risk to human life, the company added.

“Colombo’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes it a key hub, with vessels sailing to and from Europe, East Africa, the Persian Gulf, East Asia and elsewhere in South Asia. Having access to advanced hull cleaning technology services at this key port will be beneficial both for ship owners’ and operators’ bottom lines, and the marine environment”, says Simon Doran, managing director at HullWiper.

Launched in late 2013, Dubai-based HullWiper operates across the Middle East, as well as ports in Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Gibraltar, Mauritius, Namibia, Norway, Panama, South Korea, Singapore, and Sweden.