Contact Details
Mr Keith Johnson
Managing Director
NSW
T 61 2 4261 4200W www.commercialdiving...
E info@commercialdivin...
Commercial Diving Services
Hull Surface Treatment (HST) for seagoing vessels
Each year the world’s commercial shipping industry and navies lose millions of dollars in fuel costs due to drag on vessel hulls caused by marine growth such as slime, algae and weed. But traditional methods of removing this marine fouling such as specialised chemical treatments or scraping the hull while the ship is in dry-dock are expensive and can damage the marine environment.
Hull Surface Treatment (HST) developed by Commercial Diving Services is the result of six years research and development into the effects of hot water on infant sea growth. It employs ‘low flow’ hot sea water as its active ingredient, applied via a thermal applicator that moves along the underwater surface of the hull. This thermal shock kills bio-fouling at an early stage in its development, before it is able to develop and have a detrimental effect on vessel’s performance.
HST is a diver-less process when applied to the laminar flow sides of a vessel, but does require diver intervention when being applied to niche areas. It is a non-abrasive treatment that uses no chemicals and does not damage existing anti-fouling paint applications, and can be employed when the vessel is at anchor without polluting the surrounding marine environment.
When used in a coordinated maintenance program HST delivers significant cost savings for commercial shipping operators and navies through improved fuel efficiencies. Commercial Diving Services estimates that the commercial shipping industry could save approximately 2 million barrels of oil per day if HST was applied to all ships. Even if only 10 percent of commercial ships employed HST the fuel savings would run to $9 billion each year. HST also delivers greenhouse emission reductions of approximately 10 percent for each vessel.