Eco hull cleaning for cruise ships

This partnership between the Port of Dover and ECOsubsea will see an ECOsubsea remotely operated robot remove hull debris from cruise ships and the surrounding water, to enable vessels to operate at peak efficiency and protect the biodiversity of marine life and wider environment.

The vehicle crawls along the ship hull and ensures the removal of hull fouling without damaging the hull coating. The system removes over 97% of all the fouling detritus. This is safely pumped ashore and then taken away to be used for energy production.

Sonia Limbrick, head of cruise at the Port of Dover, said: “The Port of Dover is committed to pro-actively managing and delivering a sustainable port that will minimise environmental impact and promote good environmental practice.”

The collaboration between the Port of Dover and ECOsubsea is anticipated to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring 10% to 15% less fuel is used, saving CO2 to help combat the impact of climate change; minimising vessel air pollution by 5 – 15%; and minimising the spread of alien invasive species between continents.

The first clean took place on the Disney Magic recently.