Sustainability
Biofouling comes with three problems to solve
See the whole picture, solve the whole problem
Biofouling on vessel hulls creates friction on otherwise smooth surfaces, leading to loss of speed and decreased fuel efficiency. That means greater fuel consumption, higher operational costs and increased emissions spilling out into the atmosphere. Bad for business, terrible for the environment.
Forged over seven years, tested for twelve, and patented "soft jets" for effective, non-abrasive cleaning, ECOsubsea deliver the solution that solves the biofouling challenges. It ensures collection and sustainable processing of the removed fouling, (a decisive and crucial part of the service, in order to control invasive species) executing swift operations with a standard cleaning time of 8-10 hours.
Non-disruptive in its mission, ECOsubsea`s adaptable services, facilitated by mobile cleaning stations operating from quays or barges during port-based cargo operations, delivers a sustainable service with reports and ensures biofouling compliance - backed by data.
Each year about 5million kg of biofouling is carried on vessel hulls. Get rid of that and, studies show, the world fleet could reduce both costs and emissions by up to 15-20%. A huge saving.
Invasive species – plants and animals introduced to new environments – are core drivers of extinction, one of our most pressing environmental problems (the UN estimates up to one million species are currently at risk). Studies show that biofouling is the number one contributor to the transportation of invasive species in the marine environment.
These organisms aren’t just helping to suffocate our businesses and atmosphere; they’ve waged war on our oceans’ ecosystems
Biofouling is the problem. ECOsubsea has the solution.
In the battle against biofouling, ECOsubsea emerges as a beacon of sustainable innovation, swiftly cleaning vessels with patented technology, ensuring full waste collection, and standing as a proven solution in the maritime landscape.
The 2023 Guidelines for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species (Biofouling Guidelines) (resolution MEPC.378(80)) are intended to provide a globally consistent approach to the management of biofouling, which is the accumulation of various aquatic organisms on ships’ hulls. The Biofouling Guidelines were originally adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at its sixty-second session in July 2011 and were the result of three years of consultation between IMO Member States; following a thorough review that also took three years, the revised Guidelines were adopted by the MEPC at its eightieth session in July 2023. The Biofouling Guidelines represent a decisive step towards reducing the transfer of invasive aquatic species by ships.
Invasive aquatic species
The introduction of invasive aquatic species to new environments by ships has been identified as a major threat to the world’s oceans and to the conservation of biodiversity. A multitude of marine species, carried either in ships’ ballast water or on ships’ hulls, may survive to establish a reproductive population in the host environment, becoming invasive, out-competing native species and multiplying into pest proportions.
The problem of invasive species carried by ships has intensified over the last few decades due to the expanded trade and traffic volume and, since the volumes of seaborne trade continue to increase, the problem may not yet have reached its peak. The effects in many areas of the world have been devastating. Quantitative data show that the rate of bio-invasions is continuing to increase at an alarming rate and new areas are being invaded all the time.
The spread of invasive species is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to the ecological and the economic well-being of the planet and one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. These species are causing enormous damage to biodiversity and the valuable natural riches of the earth upon which we depend. Direct and indirect health effects are becoming increasingly serious and the damage to the environment is often irreversible. Moreover, significant economic impact occurs to industries that depend on the coastal and marine environment, such as tourism, aquaculture and fisheries, as well as costly damage to infrastructure.
Source citation: IMO – the International Maritime Organization