Is underwater cleaning on non-toxic coatings permissible in German sea ports?

 
The challenge of maritime transport is keeping the role as the most energy-efficient and environmental friendly transportation system. Nevertheless, IMO calls for a reduction in gaseous emissions and release of harmful substances into the sea, as well as avoidance of fouling organisms. Thus, Biofouling Management is on top of the agenda. Embedded in a Biofouling Management Plan, cleaning can play a key role. Proactive fouling prevention by cleaning can be addressed under various headings like 'Clean before you leave' or 'Clean before arrival', or 'proactive grooming' are in practice on biocidal antifouling paints but getting popular in combination with non-biocidal, coatings with high abrasion resistance which withstand the impact of multiple cleaning actions. As cleaning on biocidal antifouling paints is banned in German ports, the project 'CLEAN' was started with stakeholders from shipping companies, port authorities and diving companies to explore techniques and requirements for cleaning permits on non-toxic under water coatings. Cleaning techniques with capture of removed fouling and filtrations systems were demonstrated on a couple of vessels heading the port of Bremerhaven and Helsinki bearing ice breaker coatings ('Polarstern', AWI), abrasion resistant coatings ('WEGA', BSH), and ferry 'Gabriella' (Viking) with anticorrosive coating. It could be shown that the cleaning technique used by DG Diving proofed to be efficient and environmental friendly due to the efficacy of the capture and filtration system. The actual work load consists of the development of an application scheme containing requirements for each vessel (Biofouling Management Plan, non-biocidal hard coatings, data on operation profile) and the description of the cleaning technique (capture system, filtration, experience and permits in the past). Drafts of application schemes developed for the ports of Bremen have been discussed and will be discussed and coordinated among German sea port authorities to offer a kind of unique template for future permits.