German container line Hapag-Lloyd has completed an evaluation project to examine the impact of the semi-autonomous hull cleaning technology installed on two of its ships on both emissions and operational costs, revealing reductions in fuel consumption of between 5% and 16%.
The vessels used Shipshave’s In Transit Cleaning of Hull (ITCH) system, with the results documented and confirmed by class society DNV through analysis of operational performance data from the two container ships over a 17-month period. The vessels are of 8,749-TEU and 18,800-TEU, respectively, of different ages and with different trading profiles.
According to the DNV study, the actual reduction in fuel and emissions varied due to the ships’ different dimensions and operating profiles. One saw a 16% improvement in performance equal to a reduction in fuel consumption of approximately 8.4 tons per day – which equates to removing the emissions of some 4,900 fossil-fuel-driven cars over the same time period.
The other vessel showed better initial performance but ultimately achieved a reduction in fuel consumption of just under 5%.
“We are very pleased that this analysis from DNV confirms our internal assessment of the result achieved by the implementation of ITCH,” said Nikhilesh Bhatia, Director Fleet Energy Efficiency, being responsible for the ITCH project at Hapag-Lloyd.
“This method reflects our proactive approach to reducing emissions caused by biofouling.”
