Tug antifouling systems deal

The installations follow four successful installations for Boluda Towage Europe in 2019, and will provide effective and environmentally safe anti-fouling protection in the vessels’ cooling water inlet pipes, strainers, box coolers, sea chests and onboard fire-fighting systems.

According to Sonihull, ‘these systems have many advantages compared to impressed current anti-fouling systems. Operators can expect to save up to 90% of capital and lifetime maintenance costs when protecting their raw seawater cooling systems with Sonihull. As a zero-harm solution, there are no poisons or biocides leached into the marine environment, no microplastics are shed from ablative coatings and no toxic metallic ions are left in your wake. Fitting is simple, there is no cutting, drilling or welding and there are no expensive consumable anodes to replace’.

In August 2019, Lamers System Care performed the first Sonihull installation on a Boluda tug. Three more followed, including the Union Coral and Union Pearl. On these vessels, Sonihull protects the cooling water inlet pipes, strainers, box coolers, sea chests and firefighting systems from fouling. If the cooling water inlet pipes and box coolers are kept free from fouling, this will prevent all kinds of malfunctions in equipment and main engines. It is important for the strainers that they retain their functionality as a filter. Keeping the fire extinguishing system free from fouling is also crucial for fire safety on board the ship.

By Jake Frith