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Proven antifouling coatings and hull cleaning can have a positive impact in shipping’s drive for decarbonisation. However, there is a need for continued industry co-operation and insight sharing to find common agreement on best practices and standards if the untapped potential for further improvements is to be achieved, argued experts at the In-Port Inspection & Cleaning Conference (PortPIC).
Biofouling is acknowledged as the major vector for transfer of invasive aquatic species, and it has a significant impact on fuel consumption, operational costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In fact, poor hull and propeller performance accounts for almost 10% of world fleet energy costs and corresponding GHG emissions which translates to an additional expense of about USD 10bn a year for the world fleet, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Furthermore, regulation such as the EU Emission Trading System and the possible financial mid-term measures for GHG reduction being formulated at the IMO has made improving vessel performance by way of hull management more important than ever.
“An essential step in further shedding light on the topic and finding best practises and standardisations is actively engaging with industry stakeholders,” said Morten Sten Johansen, Jotun’s Global Category Director Hull Performance, “and that is why we co-founded PortPIC, to engage with them and get their own perspectives on the challenges and to see how we can work together to solve them.”
“It is important to have arenas like PortPIC and HullPIC along with the bigger commercial conferences like Nor-Shipping, Marintec, SMM Hamburg and Posidonia to mention just a few, which cut across competition, roles, mandates and where different views can enable us as an industry to make real progress. For Jotun, to contribute to this is a part of our Clean shipping commitment”, he added.
This year’s PortPIC was held recently in Pontignano, Italy. The conference, now in its 5th edition, brought together over 50 industry representatives to discuss the latest developments in the field of hull management, with experts from ship operators, coatings manufacturers, technology providers, robotic and diver in-water cleaning companies, regulators and academia.
Discussions at the conference varied from technical sessions and research presentations to more general discussions about the way forward for the industry. One of the key drivers of PortPIC, Volker Bertram (DNV) covered recent innovations in hull fouling management options such as biocide-free antifouling solutions, nano-coatings including graphene-based coatings, and coatings with passive air lubrication. He also highlighted novel protection systems based on ultrasonic or ultraviolet radiation, as well as innovative cleaning devices.
“The progress towards more efficient and more sustainable hull management solutions in the last five years is impressive and encouraging,” said Bertram though he also questioned whether the combination of emerging cleaning methods is aligned with the new coating technologies, and if the regulators and port operators have caught up with the step-change underway.
“As communicated earlier, the evolution of technology must be encouraged by the port operators but they, understandably, also want to be sure that the new cleaning technologies match with the coating technology on the ships and, moreover, meet their environmental requirements,” said Bertram and added, “This barrier can be overcome through more cooperation and insight sharing.”
Anita Børve (Jotun) highlighted Jotun’s long history in antifouling coatings and continuous focus on hull performance stating “the main goal is a clean hull and optimised hull performance, and both our coatings, our digital services, our advisory and expertise, as well as our innovations like the Jotun HullSkater is based on our almost 100 years of in-depth industry knowledge and performance testing. It’s a continuation of our Clean shipping commitment, and the work we do to help reduce emissions, preserve fuel and protect the oceans’ biodiversity.”
Børve acknowledges that the regulatory landscape concerning underwater hull cleaning is crowded and complex. “Several international and local entities are working in parallel but still technologies and regulations are under development with various maturity and timelines,” she said, and also highlightsedthat existing methods of testing and ensuring water quality during in-water cleaning (IWC) are very comprehensive, labour and time consuming and do not match what is possible to achieve in practice during a normal port call.
Discussing a new method of testing water quality, she added, “Testing has also proven that proactive cleaning without capture can be done without imposing any excessive release of biocides as calculated by the MAM-PEC tool used by the competent authority in EU member states for assessing potential environmental risk from antifouling coatings.”
The Norwegian NGO Bellona, known for its recognised work globally as a technology- and solution-oriented organization focusing on environmental and climate challenges, was also a part of PortPIC. Its Clean Hull Initiative was covered by Irene Ø. Tvedten, who proceeded to highlight inconsistencies in global policies, the lack of regulating procedures for approval and how regulators imposed bans on in-water cleaning often lead shipowners to hesitate over conducting cleaning even if they can get access to services.
Tvedten also stressed the importance of collaboration and insight sharing and firmly believes the CHI can help raise awareness and drive the development of the ISO 6319 standard. This will provide several benefits, including an agreed “best practice” for in-water cleaning and help harmonise stakeholder requirements. Also, the standard, which will be published in January 2026 at the latest, will help ports and relevant authorities evaluate requests for in-water cleaning, as well as help shipowners ensure that cleaning services are performed in a specific way regardless of location.
Tvedten added, “Despite the lack of port representatives at this event, PortPIC is still a very relevant conference because the importance of keeping updated is very high and the knowledge gained there can be shared with ports in other arenas.”
Other experts from the industry also shared their knowledge in what was an open and transparent environment at PortPIC. This spirit of co-operation will, in the bigger picture, help the industry and regulators to navigate and be aligned. Sahan Abeysekara from Lloyd’s Register shared insight on LR’s Clean Hull notation which provides recognition of various hull management practices and quantifies it to a surveyable output – which could in turn serve as ‘compliance by design’ in the eyes of regulators and Port State Control.
EcoSubsea’s Abigail Robinson, who has relevant experience as a regulator in New Zealand handling the world’s strictest biofouling regulations, discussed the merits of cleaning with and without capture and also called for more collaboration and the need for “fit-for-purpose regulations.”
Jotun’s Morten Sten Johansen added that “There’s certainly a step-change underway in terms of innovative solutions and the industry’s approach to hull efficiency and environmental protection, but more collaboration is key to opening the untapped potential of effective hull management, said Morten Sten Johansen, who also shared a presentation that addressed the subject of accurate risk assessments of biocide release rates under static conditions.
“As part of our Clean shipping commitment, Jotun invests significant resources in research and development and will continue to contribute to PortPIC and other important industry arenas so that shipping can become even more sustainable in the future.”
With nearly 100 years of experience of charting through unknown waters, Jotun is committed to continuously innovate and develop advanced products and solutions designed to protect biodiversity and cut carbon emissions to support global sustainability ambitions and achieve cleaner operations for all industry players. A clean hull ensures cleaner operations.
There is no quick fix to decarbonise shipping, but big gains can be found just below the water surface. 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.
As the demands on environmental compliance, transparency and efficiency are escalating around the globe, the role of research and development (R&D) is a key for driving the industry forward. Its importance as being the first step in solving complex challenges cannot be over emphasized, but it is only of value if the industry is able to make use of the knowledge obtained.
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