Hyundai Merchant Marine Deploys Underwater Robot for Hull Cleaning Operations

40% Cost Reduction Compared to Previous
Also Reduces Safety Accidents and Environmental Pollution Risks

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Hyundai Merchant Marine announced on the 2nd that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Tas Global Co., Ltd., a domestic underwater robot specialist company, and decided to deploy underwater robots for hull cleaning operations on all its vessels.

Typically, when barnacles, seaweed, invasive plants, or moss attach to the lower hull of a ship, friction increases, resulting in reduced sailing speed and increased fuel consumption. Therefore, shipping companies have been conducting regular hull cleaning operations.

Hyundai Merchant Marine expects that the next-generation eco-friendly underwater robots introduced this time will reduce the possibility of safety accidents during underwater work and contribute to preventing environmental pollution.

In fact, some overseas countries have prohibited underwater hull cleaning operations within ports because foreign plant debris or hull paint attached to the lower hull could be released directly into the sea.

However, the underwater robots introduced this time transfer debris to an onshore filtration system through a filtration system connected to the main body for processing, which the company explains can prevent marine ecosystem disruption and environmental pollution caused by invasive species.

Efficiency is also high. According to Hyundai Merchant Marine, the underwater robots can reduce costs by about 40% compared to existing operations, clean more precisely, and significantly shorten operation time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.