Hull Cleaning News

Greensea IQ appointed Brooks Converse as Director of Business Development, focused on driving the growth and adoption of EverClean, the company’s flagship in-water hull cleaning solution, while building stronger partnerships within the maritime industry.Converse holds a Master of Science in International Transportation Management from the State University of New York Maritime College, and his understanding of port operations equips him to effectively address the challenges and…

HullWiper has signed a lease agreement with Unidive Subsea to bring its eco-friendly Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) hull cleaning technology to PSA terminals, Seatrium Yards and Singapore’s inner anchorages.Plans are also in place to expand services to FPSOs, FSOs and semi-submersibles under contracts with regional oil and gas companies.Unidive Subsea provides diving and ROV services, supporting leading oil and drilling companies in Singapore.In partnership with HullWiper, the…

Subsea Global Solutions reports that authorities in Singapore have granted approval of its hull cleaning services for vessels, allowing underwater cleaning to take place while vessels are engaged in cargo work at the terminal. The approved cleaning procedure requires the use of a Cleaning Remotely Operated Vehicle (C-ROV) equipped with an integrated filtration plant, designed to capture and reclaim materials, ensuring compliance with Singapore’s stringent environmental regulations.

ECOsubsea launched its Ultra High Efficiency Hull Cleaning Service (UHEHCS) in Singapore, introducing its new ROV. According to the company, tests showed the ROV operates 10 times faster than conventional cleaning methods. "We cleaned a fully laden capesize vessel, with an 18-m draft, in just four hours," said ECOsubsea CEO Tor Østervold.Golden Ocean’s Head of Global Operations, Tord Brath, said: "ECOsubsea’s ROV demonstrated impressive speeds and enhanced safety with minimal human intervention.

Autonomous underwater robotics solutions provider Greensea IQ announced a it is partnering with Baker Marine Solutions (BMS) to expand its innovative hull cleaning service offering in Louisiana ports.BMS will serve as a subcontractor and sales representative for Greensea IQ’s EverClean hull cleaning service throughout Louisiana, including at the Port of New Orleans, and expand the EverClean brand into new regional markets.BMS, a Covington, La. based provider of marine and offshore expertise…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service has integrated Stromme and Navadan to launch a new tank and hold cleaning unit under the brand Navadan by Wilhelmsen.The strategic acquisitions of Stromme, a provider of cargo hold cleaning solutions as well as Navadan, a dedicated team of tank and cargo hold cleaning specialists, was fully in line with the strategy to expand, grow and further develop market presence within these segments, Wilhelmsen Ships Service.Navadan by Wilhelmsen is expected to strengthen the global maritime group’s capabilities in the tank and cargo hold cleaning market…

ECOsubsea has set out plans to build up its hull cleaning solution in the Port of Singapore, after securing a multi-million-dollar growth loan from Innovation Norway.With the growth loan from Innovation Norway, in the amount of $3.26 million (NOK 35 million) ECOsubsea will scale up its hull cleaning solution.The company plans to use its next generation cleaning robots, said to be 10 times faster than traditional solutions, to respond to the cleaning needs of the world's largest ships while they are bunkering.Innovation Norway's growth loan…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently caught up with Karl Lander, Director of Regulatory Compliance and Outreach at maritime tech startup Armach Robotics, to hear the latest progress on its unique, small platform, intelligence-driven hull cleaning solution.Companies like Plymouth, MA, headquartered Armach Robotics (Armach) are justifiably convinced that cleaning hulls is set for wider adoption in the coming years, as the principle of coating hulls with substances designed to be noxious to marine life becomes increasingly problematic.

Armach Robotics, Inc. (Armach), recently passed a critical milestone during a trial of its Hull Service Robot in full over-the-horizon (OTH) mode.At the end of 2022, Armach’s hull service robot (HSR), in the water in Norfolk, VA, was monitored and controlled by staff at Armach’s command center in Plymouth, MA, using a 4G modem providing over-the-air connectivity. During the trial, the Plymouth-based operator was able to fly the robot from its launch point at the pier, and make a controlled approach to the side of the ship.

Armach Robotics said on Tuesday that it had reached a major milestone by operating its hull cleaning robot successfully in full over-the-horizon (OTH) mode.In the water in Norfolk, VA, Armach’s hull service robot, was earlier this month monitored and controlled by staff at Armach’s command center in Plymouth, MA, using a 4G modem providing over-the-air connectivity.Once the communications connection was made between Norfolk and Plymouth, the vehicle was able to complete its pre-dive checks on the pier.

"Biofouling is a global problem, and to solve a global problem we need to collaborate globally. This collaboration aims to accelerate the uptake of proactive hull cleaning, as well as to understand the limits and risks with such solutions, say CEO of Bellona, Hallstein Havåg and VP Growth and Strategy at Armach Robotics, Rob Howard.The build-up of marine life on ships’ hulls – biofouling – is an age-old problem for the environment, for ship operators, and for the international shipping industry.

Karl Lander, Director, Regulatory Compliance and Outreach of Armach Robotics joined a host of leaders in sustainable technologies and innovation at the 3rd Decarbonizing Shipping Forum, being held in Hamburg this week. He introduced the concept of autonomous robots making proactive in-water cleaning a reality, in support of the worldwide goal of decarbonizing in shipping.During the presentation, Lander discussed the impacts of fouling, and the need for a more proactive approach to biofouling…

Armach Robotics, the robotic hull-cleaning subscription service company launched last year as a Greensea spin-off, has launched its first post-prototype Hull Service Robot.Armach said that the robot is a disruptive technology in hull cleaning, being man-portable at under 66lbs (30kgs) and around 34 inches (86cm) long, greatly reducing deployment costs and increasing convenience. The robot was recently launched for its first in-water trials at Plymouth, Massachusetts.James Truman, Armach’s VP of Engineering says: “My favorite job in this industry is working on next-generation systems.

Following its public launch in March 2022, Armach Robotics, the robotic hull-cleaning subscription service has now promoted Karl Lander to Director, Regulatory Compliance and Outreach.Lander is a 25-year maritime veteran including 20 years in the US Coast Guard. He joined Armach as Senior Program Manager from sister company Greensea Systems where he served as Director, Hull Robotics. In his new role, Lander will be responsible for working with ship owners, maritime regulatory organizations…

On July 16, 2021, Thunderbird 2 (TB2) was christened in Rotterdam by Mirelle Pennings, Director of Commercial Banking at Rabobank. The TB2 is the second working vessel of Fleet Cleaner, a green scale-up from Delft that uses self-developed robots to clean ships hulls. It is the world's first ship, too, according to Fleet Cleaner, that can clean tankers explosion-safe during loading and unloading.After seven months of construction, Friday was finally the day: the second Fleet Cleaner working vessel was christened.

DynaFlow's underwater jet cleaning diver tool is designed to reduce propeller fouling removal maintenance time and without being abrasive to the propeller blades.The company second generation Dynajets Non-Abrasive Diver Tool (NADT) is designed to be small, lightweight and quiet.The NADT uses resonating and cavitating jet nozzles in a rotating head housed in a shroud that protects the surface being cleaned and reduces the noise. The NADT was shown to remove propeller fouling including…

To enable a fast mobilization throughout the entire Rotterdam port without delaying a ship’s commercials operations, Hydrex dive support vessels are stationed in Rotterdam. These workboats are fully equipped with hydraulic cranes, winches, a dive spread and control room.This allows Hydrex to offer simple maintenance operations as well as repairs on all parts of the underwater ship propulsion system and the hull. Hydrex operations are class approved and carried out alongside or at anchorage while commercial activities continue without disruption.

Greensea introduces a new hull crawler that easily attaches a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to a ship hull without magnetics, allowing the operator to “drive” the ROV and payloads over the hull. Initial hull crawlers are designed to work exclusively with the VideoRay Mission Specialist Defender ROV. The hull crawler represents a milestone in Greensea’s hull robotics program, which is advancing navigation and localization capabilities for a fully autonomous robotic hull inspection and proactive in-water cleaning solution. “VideoRay is a valued Greensea partner with a dynamic and powerful ROV.

When it come to ship efficiency and emission reduction, the next frontier is devising better means to keep hulls clean from biofouling in the five years between dry dockings. Finding best solutions on hull coating and cleaning is major point of focus among shipping majors globally.Last month in a feature interview in Maritime Reporter & Engineering News with Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCCL) Anshul Tuteja, Associate VP Global Fleet Optimization, it was made clear that coatings used on the RCCL fleet is a point of intense focus…

While owners have long recognized the link between clean hulls and lower fuel costs, lack of reliable data has slowed investments in optimizing hull performance. But with improved sensor technologies and data analysis tools, hull performance is getting a second look. Owners seeking to lower fuel costs and comply with pending regulations on emissions and invasive species often look to equipment manufacturers to meet their needs. From new efficient engine designs to alternative fuels, scrubbers to ballast water treatments systems, owners face some expensive decisions.