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Mon 7 Nov 2016, 06:33 GMT

Fuel-saving HullWiper completes 100th clean for Maersk Line


'We place a high degree of focus to ensure world-class bunker efficiency,' says Maersk Line's Stephan Martinussen.

HullWiper, GAC EnvironHull's diver-free hull cleaning technology, has completed its 100th clean for Maersk Line. The clean was conducted on the Maersk Ganges at the Jebel Ali Container Terminal in Dubai.

The HullWiper Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is a hull cleaning solution that employs brushless cleaning technology; it is described by GAC as being both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

The HullWiper ROV uses high-pressure seawater to avoid damage to the antifouling surface on the hull. Debris is collected in a special waste filter unit and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. It also removes the need to employ divers, reducing operational costs and the risk to human life.

According to GAC, Maersk Line chose to use HullWiper because it offers an eco-friendly hull cleaning solution that also mitigates damage to antifouling hull coatings. All hull cleans undertaken for Maersk Line have been conducted in the ports of Singapore and Jebel Ali in the UAE, where GAC EnvironHull has special permission to operate the HullWiper in port waters. The HullWiper ROV has been used to clean vessels ranging from 1,500 TEU to 14,000 TEU in size.

Stephan Martinussen, Maersk Line's Head of Global Vessel Performance Centre, congratulated GAC EnvironHull on the milestone, saying: "We place a high degree of focus to ensure world-class bunker efficiency and thereby reduce our fleet's carbon footprint. Hull performance plays a key role in achieving that objective. We continue to partner with GAC EnvironHull as it uses technology that is both eco-friendly and facilitates diver-free hull cleaning of our vessels."

GAC EnvironHull Managing Director Simon Doran remarked: "Maersk has been a huge support since we started up and as we have grown along the way. They have been by our side all the way, and with our improved efficiency we wish to continue to repay that support and increase the benefits Maersk vessels can reap through proactive hull cleaning."

GAC EnvironHull's online fuel savings calculator enables ship owners and operators to compare the financial benefits of HullWiper compared to traditional methods. This can be trialled at http://gacc.environhull.com.

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