Oriani Hellas and Scrufy Partnership Brings an Innovative Solution to the Issue of Biofouling in the Shipping Industry
Biofouling – The Sticky Problem of the Shipping Industry
Biofouling, the accumulation of microorganisms, algae and plants on the hull of a vessel, is an ongoing issue for shipping companies. The phenomenon causes multiple structural and operational deficiencies, including increased drag, increased fuel consumption, and increased GHG emissions. Additionally, there is a risk of spreading invasive species that can affect the marine ecosystem, which can result in shipping companies getting fined due to non-compliance with international regulations.
According to the United States Office of Naval Research, due to the additional drag caused by biofouling, a ship's fuel consumption can be increased by as much as 40%.
Traditional solutions for grooming the hull, such as dry-docking or hiring specialized divers to remove hard fouling of the hull, are not only expensive and often dangerous to human life, but also bear environmental risk as the waste requires capture.
BlueBOT – Underwater Hull Grooming & Inspection Robot
Oriani Hellas has partnered with Scrufy – a highly-innovative Greek tech company that provides custom-built automation solutions to multiple industries and software solutions for the public and private sector. Scrufy has created the first Greek autonomous hull-grooming robot – BlueBOT.
BlueBOT is designed to aid the decarbonization of the shipping industry through preventing the accumulation of biofouling on hull surface. The autonomous robot attaches to the hull of a vessel magnetically and grooms the surface before it becomes a full-blown operational setback for the ship. In addition to its grooming capabilities, BlueBOT also collects data and generates reports on the state of the hull and the effectiveness of the grooming process. This allows shipping companies to stay on top of any potential biofouling issues and make informed decisions to maintain the performance and efficiency of their vessels.