Hull cleaning services in Sweden

The history of the Port of Gothenburg, situated in Sweden dates back to 1620 when the first harbour was dug out on the Stora Hamnkanalen canal. Unfortunately, with the water being too shallow, large ships were forced to anchor offshore and make use of barges to transfer goods to storage yards.

The port needed to grow which meant expanding across the river on Hisingen. Construction of Sannegårdshamnen began in 1908 and was completed in 1914. Now Scandinavia’s largest port, the Port of Gothenburg has the capacity and volumes to receive the largest container vessels in the world. Accommodating more than 130 direct routes to major destinations, such as Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America, the port is also ice-free all year round

Even with the low temperatures the Scandinavian winter can bring, biofouling is still a pressing issue in Swedish waters which is why Port Authorities encourage ship owners and operators to use a Biofouling Management Plan and Record Book for their vessels in accordance with the IMO guidelines.

This emphasis on biofouling management reveals the vital importance of vessel hull cleaning and although there are many ways to achieve this, not all hull cleaning methods are made equal.

TYPES OF HULL CLEANING IN SWEDEN

As a short-term measure between drydocking, many ship owners and operators hire hull inspection and cleaning services to inspect vessel hulls and remove biofouling.

Conventional hull cleaning divers:

Once the main form of hull cleaning, the scrapers, brushes and scrubbers used by divers remove between 10% to 30% of costly anti-fouling coatings. Manual cleaning introduces a large physical risk and is limited to daylight hours. These methods also leave biocides, paint particles and biofouling in the water.

Brush ROV technology:

A large benefit of remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) is that they can operate in most weather conditions, at any time of day or night and at a rapid pace. This form of cleaning ensures fleets can minimise the need for expensive downtime and extended port calls and can keep to their tight schedule.

Seawater jet ROV technology:

HullWiper uses high-pressure seawater jets to detach biofouling from vessel hulls helping to prolong the life of anti-fouling and reduce downtime maintenance costs. HullWiper’s ROV operations in Sweden allow cleaning to be performed while vessels are berthed to load or discharge cargo and can be performed round-the-clock, working during darkness or at very low temperatures

Key features of HullWiper include:

No downtime

Cleaning can be performed while vessels are berthed to load or discharge cargo and can be performed round-the-clock. Working during darkness or at very low temperatures.

Comprehensive cleaning

Patented ROV technology cleans 96–97% of submerged areas and lasts 2 - 3 times longer when compared with brushes.

Saving hidden costs

Cleaning with HullWiper offers between 25% - 50% more savings to coating costs between dry dockings over conventional cleaning methods.

Cleaning speed & pressure

Various speeds and adjustable cleaning pressure is available for all types of vessel coatings.

Safe solutions

Without the use of divers, HullWiper reduces the risk of human life.

Environmentally friendly

Less biofouling drag on a ship’s hull helps reduce pressure on the vessel’s engine and fuel consumption immensely.

The HullWiper’s unique onboard filter system also ensures only clean water is released back into the ocean. The ROV collects removed hull waste and debris is disposed of on-shore in an eco-friendly manner approved by local authorities.

HullWiper is in proud partnership with local underwater services provider, Frog Marine Service (SSE). Over the years, SSE has formed unique and longstanding partnerships with various management and construction companies to provide customers with broad and expert knowledge in these areas. The Scandinavian company operates through the port of Gothenburg to provide fast solutions and achieve optimal results, a shared sentiment of the HullWiper team.

Home to many international and domestic ship owners, managers and operators, Europe and Scandinavia are in need of effective and efficient vessel maintenance and cleaning. Bringing HullWiper and its unique and beneficial services to Gothenburg offers a greater and faster choice when looking to book a hull clean

HullWiper operates in ports around the world including Norway, Denmark, Singapore, Spain, Panama, Egypt, Australia, Namibia, United Arab Emirates and at key locations across the Middle East. Korea and Sri Lanka locations coming soon!

Find out what HullWiper can do for your fleet by emailing [email protected] or visit our website www.hullwiper.co for more information.