Australia & New Zealand Standard Hull Cleaning: Complete Guide
There are some of the most unique and fragile marine ecosystems in the waters of the Tasman Sea and the South Pacific. To safeguard these environments, Australia and New Zealand have put in place the most stringent biosecurity systems ever on earth. To shipowners, it is no longer a suggestion that Australia and New Zealand standard hull cleaning has become a mandatory operational requirement to enter port.
When vessels enter international waters, under the current enforcement of the Australian Biofouling Management Requirements and the Craft Risk Management Standard (CRMS) of New Zealand, the vessels should demonstrate that they are not carrying any hitchhiker species. The contaminated hull has now become both legally and economically a liability and can lead to instant expulsion into territorial waters.
What is Hull Cleaning and Why Does It Matter
Underwater hull cleaning is the mechanical or hydraulic removal of the so-called biofouling – the growth of aquatic organisms on the submerged surface of a ship. Although cleaning is traditionally linked to saving fuel, in the Oceania Region, it is rather a means of marine growth removal as opposed to the introduction of Invasive Aquatic Species (IAS).
A single ship carrying a colony of invasive pests can result in the destruction of billions of dollars of local aquaculture and biodiversity. As a result, the Clean Hull standard is the most significant gatekeeper to both commercial and recreational vessels.
Understanding Biofouling and Its Impact
The biofouling is a progressive biological process. It starts with a microscopic “slime layer” (microfouling) and soon graduates to vessel biofouling management issues such as barnacles, mussels, and tubeworms (macrofouling).
- Fuel Penalty: A light layer of slime can increase greenhouse gas emissions of a vessel by up to 30.
- Drag and Wear: Macrofouling enhances hydrodynamic drag, which compels engines to work more intensely and accelerates the wear of the propulsion systems.
- Biosecurity Risk: New Zealand and Australia specifically target so-called niche areas, namely sea chests, bow thrusters, and rudder trunks, where biofouling removal techniques are most difficult to implement, but most likely to harbor invasive species.
Hull Cleaning Regulations in Australia & New Zealand
The regulatory environment needs to be approached proactively. Both countries have a compliance path to incoming crafts, which is the three-option compliance path.
Australia: Biosecurity Act.
Vessel operators need to exhibit active management by using one of the following means:
- Biofouling Management Plan (BFMP): The vessel-specific plan and a Biofouling Record Book (BFRB) that satisfies international maritime standards are maintained.
- Recent Cleaning: The evidence (cleaning reports and photos/video) of the fact that the hull itself was cleaned of all biofouling shortly before arrival should be provided.
- Alternative Method: Under a department-approved method, such as a special ICCP system or an innovative anti-fouling system.
New Zealand: The Craft Risk Management Standard (CRMS)
The MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) of New Zealand has stringent regulations. Vessels should present a Clean Hull, which has certain thresholds of acceptable fouling depending on the length of stay and location of the vessel.
- Short-stay vessels: Only a slimy layer and very slight macrofouling in the niche areas were allowed.
- Long-stay vessels: need to be fundamentally devoid of all macrofouling.
Approved Hull Cleaning Methods
To meet Australia & New Zealand standard hull cleaning requirements, the method of removal is as important as the removal itself.
1. In-Water Hull Cleaning (With Capture)
The use of open-circuit cleaning (where debris is discharged into the water) is highly forbidden in most ports of Australia and New Zealand. Hull cleaning in-water now requires the use of vacuum recovery systems that collect almost all the removed biological material and paint scraps, which are then filtered at the surface.
2. Dry Dock Cleaning
The most comprehensive approach. The crews can conduct a 100% inspection and apply new anti-fouling coatings by taking the vessel out of the water. This is the “Gold Standard” of compliance, but it must take a considerable amount of downtime.
3. Eco-Friendly cleaning of Hulls (Grooming)
The proactive method of grooming, with soft brushes or contactless water jets, is used to remove slime before macrofouling can be established. This is very popular amongst the regulators because it does not affect the anti-fouling paint.
Technologies Used in Modern Hull Cleaning
The automation process has been turned into an industry policy to guarantee the safety and accuracy:
- ROV Hull Cleaning: Remotely Operated Vehicles with special cleaning brushes and suction systems are capable of cleaning a hull when the vessel is at anchor or alongside.
- High-Pressure Water Jets: This is used in niche areas where the brushes cannot reach, and to ensure that all sea crafts and inlets are clear.
- Anti-Fouling Coating Technologies: Modern “Foul Release” Coatings are created so that they are very slippery, such that the organism cannot attach to the surface at cruising speeds.
Benefits of Complying with Hull Cleaning Standards
Compliance is an investment in marine environmental compliance and operational ROI:
- Fuel Efficiency: A clean hull can save hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in fuel costs for a commercial vessel.
- Evasion of Fines: Non-compliant vessels may be ordered to depart the country at once, which results in huge losses on breach-of-contract and port charges.
- Asset Protection: Cleaning will stop corrosion in the form of pitting, which mainly occurs in the presence of thick deposits of calcareous growth.
Risks of Non-Compliance
The compliance risk of hull cleaning is high. In New Zealand, the MPI may give a vessel a notice of direction (NOD) which requires the vessel to travel offshore to be inspected or to be directed to leave New Zealand territorial waters to have its waters cleaned in a third-party country at the cost of the vessel owner.
Choosing a Professional Hull Cleaning Service
In choosing a marine maintenance company, make sure that they have prepared a report on Biosecurity-Ready. Look for:
- Compliance Documentation: They ought to give high-definition video/photo evidence of niche areas, time-stamped, and geo-tagged.
- Certified Capture Systems: Testimony that their equipment meets the local environmental standards of the area in terms of performance to collect the debris.
- Local Regional Expertise: Knowledge of biosecurity hull cleaning Australia standards and locations to report.
Select a hull cleaning service company that is certified in order to be in complete regulatory compliance.
Cost of Hull Cleaning Services
The hull cleaning cost in Australia and NZ varies based on the level of fouling (Fouling Rating 0 to 5).
- Proactive Cleaning: It is usually less expensive since it entails the removal of slime and light macrofouling.
- Reactive Cleaning: When significant growth of barnacles has been established, the costs of cleaning are significantly higher, and more intensive labor and specialized waste disposal are required.
Pro Tip: The price of a 1-day cleaning operation is a fraction of the price of being turned away at port and being rerouted to an international dry dock.
Future Trends in Hull Cleaning
- Permanent ROV Stations: In some ports, they are considering cleaning lanes where the ROVs are automatically used to groom the hulls as they enter the harbor.
- AI-Powered Inspection: Software that is able to automatically detect and measure biofouling species in footage of dives to provide real-time compliance ratings.
- Advanced Hull Cleaning Technology: The application of ultrasound-emitting transducers within niche areas in advance of it developing.
Conclusion: Stay Compliant and Efficient
The modern vessel business in the Southern Hemisphere hinges on the cornerstone of the modern vessel business, namely, Australia & New Zealand standard hull cleaning. By changing the reactive approach of scraping to the proactive method of biofouling management, the operators will be able to preserve the marine environment and increase their bottom line considerably due to their fuel savings and the reduction in port delays.
Get in touch with us today to get hull cleaning services that are compliant and green.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is a ‘Biofouling Record Book’ (BFRB)?
Ans: It is a logbook that documents all biofouling management activities, including the date of last anti-fouling application, all in-water inspections, and any cleaning.
Q2. Is it possible to clean my hull at anchor in a New Zealand port?
Ans: It would only apply in cases where the service provider has an approved capture and treatment system. Most regional ports usually prohibit open cleaning since this is the way to spread pests.
Q3. What should be done when regulators discover an invasive species on my hull?
Ans: Depending on the level of risk, the vessel could be ordered to leave territorial waters immediately to have the vessel cleaned, or be restricted to one port, and no further movement is allowed until the vessel is cleaned.
Q4. How frequently do I need to check my hull in case of Australia/NZ voyages?
Ans: In the case of commercial vessels, the inspection of every 6 to 12 months is recommended, with a mandatory Pre-Arrival inspection being given in the case of a vessel considered to be high-risk.
Q5. Will a new anti-fouling paint job get us in?
Ans: No. In the case of the vessel having taken prolonged periods in a high-risk tropical port, even on new paint, biofouling may occur. The key is the documentation of the operating profile of the vessel.
