After the recent oil pollution disaster of the Bow Jubail in the Port of Rotterdam, Fleet Cleaner assisted the authorities in cleaning ship hulls that were contaminated by heavy fuel oil, to minimize environmental damage. In record time, Fleet Cleaner converted its installation into an oil spill response vessel; by installing specialized heating equipment, the high-pressure cleaning robot was prepared for high-pressure steam cleaning. With the installed power of 1 MW, a special oil skimmer, and the necessary oil booms and PPMs, the Fleet Cleaner team took on the challenge by cleaning the contaminated ships 24/7.
The cleaning was carried out together with main contractor Hebo, the party responsible for cleaning and coordinating the cleaning of the entire Rotterdam port area. Thanks to the use of the cleaning robot, which is normally used to remove pollution such as algae and mussels from ship hulls to save fuel costs, a completely safe operation was created. Fleet Cleaner assisted with its installation to clean 12 oil-polluted ships. Where standard oil pollution cleaning is conducted above water, the Fleet Cleaner robot could also clean underwater, providing assistance to ships that were contaminated during the loading process. On the other hand, the installation was also used to remove oil up to 10 meters above the waterline, making it a uniquely versatile cleaning machine.
This new experience for Fleet Cleaner has proven that the installation can also be successfully deployed to help in such environmental disasters. An optional package will be added to future Fleet Cleaner installations for oil pollution situations in other ports.
Fleet Cleaner’s diverless hull cleaning service is available 24/7 in all Dutch ports.
