Economic analysis of ship operation using a new antifouling strategy

Abstract

Using an alternative biofouling cleaning system that is operated en route of cruising, the lifecycle operations, and maintenance costs are expected to reduce. We provide a preliminary analysis of the impact of cleaning ap-proaches on fuel consumption based on actual data generated from 14 international containerships. We also construct a model for economic comparison of various antifouling strategies, including the innovative system that can be operated by the crew onboard the ship. The case study for a 146,700 GT containership indicates cost savings of 7% (5.36%-11.44%) are achievable through the use of a relatively frequent hydro-blasting system in addition to periodical overall drydock cleaning. The economic model and resulting cost estimates can be used to project costs due to hull fouling for the fleet as a whole.