Wedoany.com Report on Mar 13th, The International Organization for Standardization has recently released the ISO 6319 standard, aiming to regulate the cleaning process of ship biofouling. This ship cleaning standard was initiated by the Clean Hull Initiative project, intending to help ports and regulatory agencies assess the environmental friendliness of hull cleaning technologies to address the potential ecological impacts and vessel efficiency issues caused by biofouling.
Irene Øvstebø Tvedten, Senior Advisor at Bellona, stated: "Biofouling on ship hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reduces ship efficiency, leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions." Tvedten led the development of ISO 6319 and noted that this ship cleaning standard is now available for global shipping and port stakeholders.
Contributors to ISO 6319 include Luc Van Espen, a port environmental expert at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. He explained: "An internationally accepted and applied standard creates a level playing field among global seaports, significantly limiting the transfer of invasive alien species from one port to another." The port allows hull cleaning as part of its sustainable shipping commitment.
Globally, approval procedures by ports and authorities vary greatly, posing challenges for shipowners. Kim-Helge Brynjulfsen, Senior Manager at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said: "When applications follow the same structure and technical specifications, ports and authorities can process them more efficiently. For us shipping companies, this means fewer operational disruptions and greater predictability." The company is reducing fleet emissions by enhancing hull maintenance.
Petter Korslund, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Jotun, mentioned: "ISO 6319 can help ports assess permits for hull cleaning technologies on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they adequately protect the environment. There are significant quality differences among hull cleaning systems." Jotun, as a player in the marine coatings field, also contributed expertise.
Mark Riggio, Technical Director at BEMA, added: "ISO 6319 helps guide approval bodies in understanding what the actual risks of cleaning are and how to manage and mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible, while promoting environmentally friendly ship cleaning." This ship cleaning standard was drafted by the Clean Hull Initiative four years ago, aiming to support ports and regulatory agencies in making informed decisions and providing unified technical specifications for the global shipping industry.
