HullWiper - which will be demonstrated at an event co-hosted by GAC EnvironHull and the Port of Rotterdam at the port on 23rd June - is a diver-free ROV that eliminates the need for divers to clean the vessel, cutting costs and reducing the risk to human life.
Unlike other cleaning solutions, HullWiper uses seawater under high pressure as a cleaning medium, instead of brushes or abrasives, minimising damage to the antifouling surface. This optimises performance and creates energy efficiency savings for shipowners, as well as reducing expenditure needed to recoat the hull, GAC claimed.
Removed residues and harmful materials are collected in a special waste unit connected to the ROV.
Christer Sjödoff, GAC Group vice president, commercial, said: “As the gateway to the European market and a port that pioneers new thinking around the environment, Rotterdam is the perfect location for HullWiper. We believe that European shipowners will continue to see the commercial and environmental benefits of the technology, as already seen in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.”
In another initiative announced at Posidonia, a partnership was announced between GAC’s bunker fuels trading arm GAC Bunker Fuels (GBFL) and ENOC Global Marine.
Under the agreement GBFL was appointed as ENOC’s exclusive sales agent and distributor, for marine lubricants in South Africa.