Jotun has unveiled its revolutionary Hull Skating Solutions (HSS) for keeping the hulls of large ships free from fouling.
A world’s first in on-board robotics proactive cleaning, HSS is a collaborative effort between Jotun, Semcon, Kongsberg, DNV GL, Telenor and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
One part of HSS is the Jotun HullSkater – a remotely operated vehicle that inspects the hull underwater and keeps it free from fouling.
The other two components of the HSS are its ‘SeaQuantum Skate’ coating and Proactive Condition Monitoring.
The SeaQuantum Skate is the only coating tailored for Hull Skating. It is the result of over 20 years research and development in silyl acrylate technologies.
Jotun’s Proactive condition monitoring allows in-house analysts to make fouling predictions based on big data trends, algorithms and analyses, and advise customers on when to carry out hull maintenance.
This also includes oceanographic assessment for fouling prediction and enabling the Skate Operator to perfectly time the deployment of the system.
Jotun’s HullSkater is specially designed for the inspection and preventive cleaning of vessels in challenging conditions.
As it is always on board the vessel and ready to do its job whenever the ship is idle, this should provide shipping companies with increased operational flexibility as well as a smaller environmental footprint.
For instance, emissions from a typical bulk carrier can be reduced by 22,000 tons of CO2, or 12.5%, over a 60-month period. This is equivalent to an overall cost saving of $4 million.
In addition, the new solution also helps reduce the spread of aquatic invasive organisms between different ports.
The HullSkater weighs approximately 200 kg and measures 1600 x 1000 mm. It has four magnetic wheels for optimum grip on the hull. Each wheel has its own motor.
Four cameras and ‘real time’ data analysis provide the HullSkater’s operator with information for navigation and to document the fouling on the hull.
The vehicle itself is connected to the operator’s control center through an ‘umbilical’, and can be operated remotely from any location in the world with 4G coverage.
Image and content: Semcon/Jotun
