Both vertical sides of the mv Fagelgracht, one of the general cargo vessels operated by Spliethoff, were recently cleaned while berthed in the Port of Rotterdam, by the innovative hull cleaning company Fleet Cleaner. By allowing a small distance between the vessel and the quayside, both vertical sides could be cleaned with Fleet Cleaner’s robot, without any influence on planned cargo operations at the terminal. This was both a technical and operational achievement.

The cleaning was done with a newly developed concept which allows underwater cleaning without divers. The Fleet Cleaner system also includes a waste water removal and treatment system before releasing back the clean water in port. The cleaning robot is not equipped with brushes but with rotating high pressure waterjets, which do not damage the coating. Due to the use of the navigation systems of Fleet Cleaner, both sides of the hull were quickly cleaned, with no downtime for vessel’s operations.

Shipping company Spliethoff, which highly values sustainability, assisted in supporting this first demonstration. Karel van Zijl of Spliethoff’s business development department also underlines the importance of regular hull cleaning:

“A clean hull helps to reduce drag and therefore reduces fuel costs and CO2 emissions significantly. Two matters that are highly valued by Spliethoff.”

Fleet Cleaner’s diverless hull cleaning service is available 24/7 in all Dutch ports.