Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) will be the first container shipping line to install robotic technology for proactive hull cleaning
MSC has signed up to use Jotun’s pioneering Hull Skating Solutions (HSS) on its ships to reduce hull fouling and fuel costs as part of its commitment to invest in decarbonising operations on its container ships. There is a direct link between reducing hull fouling with better voyage efficiency, lower fuel consumption and lower bunker costs.
MSC will use high-performance SeaQuantum Skate antifouling and HSS on 14,000-TEU MSC Eva later this year. This solution will proactively work to ensure the vessel’s hull remains clear of biofouling, significantly lowering CO2 emissions.
MSC head of newbuildings Giuseppe Gargiulo expects HSS to help MSC meet its ambitious environmental goals. “We believe HSS will help solve the problem of biofouling, equating to strong benefits for the natural world – through reduced emissions and decreased spread of invasive species,” said Mr Gargiulo, “and better results for our business, customers and society. This is the embodiment of what we are looking to achieve at MSC.”
HSS will be installed on MSC Eva at GWD Guangzhou Shipyard in China later in 2020, at the same time as it undergoes class renewal and scrubber installation.
The vessel’s flexible sailing pattern will expose this technology to differing water temperatures and environments, challenging it in severe biofouling conditions.
Mr Gargiulo said MSC is prepared to test these technologies to reduce its environmental footprint. “Clean hulls are only one piece of the jigsaw when it comes to delivering a more sustainable shipping industry, but a central piece nonetheless,” he said.
“MSC is committed to exploring and trialling new scalable solutions to minimise overall environmental impact, for both our business and the shipping industry as a whole,” Mr Gargiulo added.
Jotun HSS is a proactive technology shipowners can use to mitigate severe biofouling challenges. It combines antifouling and the robotic proactive cleaner, housed on board a selected vessel.
Jotun operators control the HullSkater robot via a 4G connection, conducting cleaning and inspections in line with an individual vessel’s schedule, which is developed through proactive condition monitoring and proprietary algorithm and data analytics.
HSS was developed over several years and brought to market by Jotun in March, in co-operation with Kongsberg. Comprehensive testing has been conducted on vessels in partnership with leading shipowners, such as MSC, and in selected ports worldwide.
Jotun HullSkater uses magnetic wheels to cling to vessel hulls. It works to remove individual bacteria and biofilm before macro-fouling grows. Fouling can be removed without risk of damage to, or erosion of, coatings or brushes. This minimises the need for reactive cleaning, cutting costs, environmental risk and optimising fleet flexibility.
Jotun Performance Coatings global concept director for hull performance solutions Stein Kjølberg explained the importance of proactive hull cleaning and monitoring ship performance for antifouling strategies during Riviera Maritime Media’s Separating hype and hull coatings webinar.
This was held on 8 July as part of Riviera’s Marine Coatings Webinar Week. Use this link to access the webinar in our library.
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