ECOsubsea has launched its Ultra High Efficiency Hull Cleaning Service (UHEHCS) in Singapore, utilising remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for speedy cleaning.
The system has been undergoing testing in the Singapore anchorage since August to validate its capabilities within that environment, with the company claiming that the equipment operated 10 times faster than conventional cleaning methods.
ECOsubsea completed its debut commercial clean on the Odfjell tanker Bow Cedar in two hours.
“Deployment time from docking alongside Bow Cedar to starting cleaning operation was about seven minutes,” said ECOsubsea CEO Tor Østervold.
“We cleaned a fully laden capesize vessel, with an 18-metre draft, in just four hours.”
“Our ROV operates in over 2 knots of current, where divers face extreme hazards at even 1 knot. This efficiency gap offers major time and cost benefits.”
The company has chartered Eng Hup Shipping’s largest vessel, modifying it with a purpose-built ROV Launch & Recovery System (LARS), operator station and a 75-cbm filtration unit. ECOsubsea is also collaborating with waste-management firm Mencast to process collected biowaste.
Some 5,000 ships have signed up for cleaning during the initial licensing period, with ECOsubsea planning to establish a global network of ROVs to expand its services.
