For a long time, almost all areas below the waterline of a ship have been painted red because the paint contains compounds like cuprous oxide and mercuric oxide to deter marine life from attaching to the hull. However, this method is not very effective. When marine organisms cover the ship’s surface layer upon layer, the density can still reach a staggering 17 kg per square meter.
Research has shown that for every 1 mm of marine organism attachment on the ship’s hull, the resistance to navigation increases by 80%, resulting in a 15% decrease in speed, significantly increasing fuel costs, and potentially causing more severe damage, malfunctions, or even ship downtime.
Recently, a bulk cargo ship owner expressed frustration that despite spending tens of thousands of dollars on fuel, the ship couldn’t achieve the desired speed. His 20 years of experience told him it was time to clean the ship. After comparing various options, he chose the “Neptune Annual Assurance Program” service, which significantly reduced fuel consumption while noticeably improving the ship’s speed.
“Neptune Annual Assurance Program”: Purchasing Neptune Robotics’ robot hull cleaning service allows ship owners to receive an additional free inspection and a detailed professional inspection report. It’s used by the world’s top five container ship owners and three major bulk cargo ship owners!
01-Cleaning During Typhoons, Without Damaging the Paint!
Is there really a hull cleaning method like this?
Ship F is a 123,000-ton bulk cargo ship that typically only has one night to clean when it docks, making it challenging to allocate time for cleaning. Moreover, with recent frequent typhoons and rough seas in the ports, underwater cleaning has become almost impossible.
To quickly increase ship speed and reduce the escalating fuel costs, the ship owner needed a method that was weather-independent, could be conducted at any time, and was suitable for continuous cleaning without damaging the carefully maintained ship paint.
Neptune Robotics’ robot underwater cleaning operation covers ports in North China, East China, and South China. Even in harsh weather conditions such as strong winds, heavy rain, and rough seas, it can provide ships with 24-hour uninterrupted cleaning services at the dock/anchorage, with real-time visibility, and the advantage of gentle cleaning to protect the ship’s paint. After thorough consideration, the ship owner chose Neptune Robotics.
02-A “Ship-New” Cleaning Experience
Powerful Cleaning Without Harming the Paint!
Before cleaning, Neptune Robotics’ robot conducted a comprehensive inspection of Ship F. Despite the large waves and strong currents in the port, the computer terminal’s “live feed” showed that the Neptune Robotics robot always tightly adhered to the ship’s hull, moving flexibly and steadily along the waterline.
The data and images transmitted by the robot indicated that Ship F had severe marine organism attachment, with a comprehensive coverage rate of 85%, consisting mostly of barnacles, seaweed, and mud.
Barnacles and seaweed are marine organisms with strong attachment abilities. Modeling analysis has shown that barnacles tend to be removed only when the cleaning force reaches 180N. This means that manual cleaning would likely be labor-intensive and yield little result.
However, Neptune Robotics’ robot can efficiently and easily remove barnacles and other marine organisms and dirt from the ship’s surface underwater without damaging the ship’s paint or anti-corrosion layer, providing ship owners with a “ship-new” cleaning experience.
03-Saving on Fuel with Neptune Robotics!
Avoiding Penalties When Visiting Australia and New Zealand!
With rising fuel prices and increased marine organism growth, monthly fuel costs continue to soar. So, if your ship’s speed has significantly decreased while fuel consumption has skyrocketed, it’s time to consider using Neptune Robotics for hull cleaning!
If you are a ship owner/operator traveling between China, New Zealand, and Australia, and you want to avoid local underwater inspections and potential penalties or expulsions, Neptune Robotics can provide a customized annual protection plan. We submit reports that meet the highest New Zealand and Australia requirements, helping ships pass inspections and arrive safely at their destinations!
