Even though more collaboration and disruptive innovation are needed, effective hull management and proactive cleaning are vital for a cleaner, more efficient shipping industry as they help reduce emissions, preserve fuel and protect the oceans’ biodiversity, according to Jotun which sees enormous benefits for its customers and the environment.

During Posidonia, Jotun continued its ongoing commitment to highlight the issue of biofouling among the global shipping community and fostering a cleaner maritime sector to help meet the IMO’s decarbonisation goals.  

Today the shipping industry is at a critical point where it is being obliged to look for options to make ships greener. The challenge is highly complex and there is a long way to go but according to Jotun there are practical, and fairly low-hanging solutions already available for the industry to improve vessel efficiency and cut emissions. 

“Everyone is talking about decarbonisation, but it is important to emphasise that sustainability in shipping is more than alternative fuels. There are practical energy efficiency solutions already available, such as advanced hull coatings, performance monitoring systems and hull cleaning devices, which will still be of high importance no matter what fuel type we are using in the future – especially since alternative fuel today has a much higher cost than traditional fuel for the industry. You can say that it all starts with a clean hull,” says Tom H. Evensen, Jotun’s Regional Category Manager for Hull Performance. 

As an example, in 2023 Jotun’s hull performance solutions supported the industry’s decarbonisation efforts to the tune of 10.4 million tons of CO₂ based on ISO 19030 calculations, equivalent to approximately $1 billion in fuel saving. 

“If the shipping industry took a more proactive approach to hull cleaning, we as an industry could save as much as 198 million tonnes of CO₂, according to global estimations published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2022,” Evensen adds. 

Decarbonisation and efficiency dominate discussion

In the very heart of the country that controls around 21% of world shipping capacity, Posidonia provided the perfect venue as industry leaders talked of decarbonisation and efficiency measures and Jotun executives, including President and CEO of Jotun Morten Fon, spoke about Jotun’s commitment to a cleaner industry, their plan to continue fostering innovation and collaboration within the shipping community. 

The direction future IMO regulation might take and how the transition the industry needs might be financed was hotly debated during Posidonia. Also, efficiency measures such as EEDI and EEXI are forcing the technology change with financial measures such as the EU ETS adding financial pressure on shipowners. All within the industry expect the financial measures to grow more onerous and to extend well beyond European waters.

“Also, the economic and environmental impact of biofouling, combined with stricter regulations, are likely to drive up the demand for effective hull performance management. For sure, identifying and tackling fouling before it becomes an issue will help operators improve their bottom line and mark them out as one who is acting for cleaner shipping,” adds Tom H. Evensen. 

Low awareness of biofouling impact 

Evensen explained that it is not news that a fouled hull increases frictional resistance. Jotun and other leading marine coatings manufacturers have been working on the problem for decades and shipowners and operators are also fully cognisant of the fact that it can impact on fuel use and ship speed. However, he says that the level of awareness as to the full extent of the problem is questionable.  

To illustrate, Evensen pointed to a report by the GloFouling Partnership (the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety) that concluded increased emissions due to biofouling could be as high as 19%. The report, published in 2022, also said that the perceived impact of biofouling “is likely to have been historically underestimated.” 

“That view,” said Evensen, “is supported by Jotun’s own Clean Shipping Survey which was carried out by Lloyd’s List last year. It showed that almost half of respondents appear to accept that biofouling does have an impact on emissions, although that impact is probably underestimated. In short, 11% thought the impact on emissions was minimal. Also, one in four respondents thought the impact lies in the 6% - 10% range and a similar proportion putting the impact at between 11% and 15%. Only 27% thought the impact was very significant.” 

Evensen was at pains to point out that attention is also moving to the second impact of biofouling – species transfer. He highlighted that this is not merely something that is just beginning to appear on the regulatory agenda saying, “New Zealand and Australia already have regulations in place that requires ships to arrive with a clean hull according to the legislation definition”.

Need for new strategies and collaboration

At the Tradewinds Shipowners Forum at Posidonia, Clarkson Research Managing Director, Stephen Gordon, highlighted that shipping is responsible for about 2% of global emissions, while it is also the most carbon-efficient mode of transportation. “Significant fleet renewal and alternative fuels are needed, but also retrofitting decarbonising technology and slower speeds in a multi-layered approach,” said Gordon. 

Echoing Morten Fon’s words, Evensen said the importance of industry collaboration to address the global problem is also vitally important. Three years ago Norwegian environmental NGO, Bellona, supported by Jotun initiated the Clean Hull Initiative (CHI) with the ambition to bring forward an industry standard for in-water cleaning of ships' biofouling. The initiative focuses on biofouling in shipping as an environmental issue and the emergence of proactive hull cleaning technology as a tool to overcome this issue. 

Evensen believes this is necessary as there are more and more hull cleaning companies and onboard cleaning solutions employing different technologies and clean up strategies. He describes this mix as a ”jungle of cleaning technologies” and says, “Moving forward, clear directions in terms of defining the type of cleaning approach and methods will be essential in distinguishing what type of service is actually offered.” 

“Proactive hull cleaning is an example of a fairly simple measure that provides significant environmental benefits. The cleaning of ships has a substantial potential for cutting fuel cost and at the same time reducing the environmental footprint for the shipping industry. This is why we launched the Clean Hull Initiative, together with Jotun and other industry stakeholders, and we are also working on developing an industry-wide recognized and accepted standard for hull cleaning to reduce fuel consumption and also minimize the spread of aquatic invasive species,” says Irene Øvstebø Tvedten, Senior Advisor Maritime of Bellona.

The primary aim of the CHI project is a reduction of biofouling on the global shipping fleet, leading to a reduction of transfer of invasive marine species, and a reduction of GHG emissions from shipping.  

“Again, the clean hull is at the heart of our Clean shipping commitment as it is the only way to protect biodiversity, preserve fuel and cutting carbon emissions. And the impact of a clean hull is greater than many in the shipping industry really understands,” concludes Evensen.