A new ISO standard has been published to help port authorities, shipowners and operators manage in-water hull cleaning in an environmentally responsible way.

The standard, ISO 6319, titled “Conducting and documenting in-water cleaning of biofouling on ships,” provides guidance for documenting and evaluating hull cleaning activities. The standard aims to support ports and regulators when assessing whether hull cleaning technologies adequately protect the marine environment.

“Biofouling on ships’ hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reducing a vessel’s efficiency and leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions,” said Irene Øvstebø Tvedten, senior adviser at Bellona and project manager for the Clean Hull Initiative.

Hull cleaning is increasingly being adopted by shipowners as a strategy to reduce fuel consumption and limit the spread of invasive species. ISO 6319 aims to ensure that such practices are conducted responsibly without releasing organisms or harmful substances into surrounding waters.

Luc Van Espen, port environment expert at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said the new standard could help establish consistent rules across ports.

“An internationally accepted and applied standard creates a level playing field among seaports worldwide, strongly limiting the transfer of invasive alien species from one port to another,” Van Espen said.

The standard was developed with contributions from a range of stakeholders including ports, shipowners and service providers. Shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen and marine coatings manufacturer Jotun were among the contributors.

“At Jotun, we find that many ports and authorities lack detailed knowledge about hull cleaning and are often unnecessarily sceptical of cleaning ships,” said Petter Korslund, regulatory affairs manager at Jotun. “ISO 6319 can help ports assess permits on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether the hull cleaning technology sufficiently protects the environment.”

The Clean Hull Initiative originally developed the draft standard four years ago under the leadership of Bellona, bringing together stakeholders focused on proactive hull maintenance strategies to reduce biofouling.

Learn more: https://www.iso.org

Standards such as ISO 6319 reflect ongoing efforts to improve environmental performance and durability in marine coatings applications within the paint and coatings industry.