HullWiper has made its hull cleaning technology available as onboard solution that allows all types of vessels to clean their hull fouling on demand.
The onboard version of the diver- and brush-free remotely operated vehicle (ROV) gives vessels on a tight schedule the means to perform a partial or full hull clean on a planned rotation, as and when needed. Cruise ships and super yachts can clean at every stop without interruption to their timetables or inconvenience to passengers.
The onboard solution, which was introduced at this year’s Navalia International Shipbuilding Exhibition in Spain, can be included in the design phase of newbuilds and allocated to a specific space either on deck, door on the side of a vessel or using a moon pool.
HullWiper provides onsite training at its Training Centre in Dubai, followed by onboard training.
Like its in-port predecessor, the on-board ROV uses adjustable seawater jets as the cleaning medium, instead of brushes or abrasives. No divers are used, so there is no risk to human life and cleaning can be conducted day or night, in most weather conditions, and whilst cargo operations are underway, the company said.
“The need for owners and operators to proactively manage marine fouling on their vessels, and prove that they have a cleaning management plan in place, can be the difference between being allowed into a port and being turned away,” says Simon Doran, HullWiper’s managing director. “Leasing a ROV and keeping it onboard means they can clean whenever they want.”
The cleaning unit has permission to work in many locations and countries around the world. HullWiper also offers assistance in obtaining permission from any port seeking to check the cleaning process and result.
HullWiper’s general manager, Laurance Langdon, adds: “Cleaning in international waters with the HullWiper is not a problem. Vessels can also clean in port, during loading and unloading and in most weather conditions, eliminating the need for unnecessary downtime.”