HullWiper gets pat for enriching Dubai’s culture of innovation

Dubai / Emirates Business

Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) recognised GAC EnvironHull’s pioneering hull-cleaning technology for its “exemplary role” in enriching the Emirate’s maritime sector’s culture of innovation and excellence.
The diver- and brush-free HullWiper Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) has been recognised in the inaugural Dubai Maritime Innovation Awards presented by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on November 2 as part of Dubai Maritime Week.
Launched in Dubai in December 2013, HullWiper delivers the benefits of a foul-free hull with little or no down-time, whilst preserving both the delicate marine eco-system and human life. It uses water jets to remove fouling rather than brushes or other abrasives which can damage expensive coatings and collects debris from the operation for environmentally approved disposal on land, thus reducing the risk of cross-pollination of waters with alien species.
The system has been approved for use at ports in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and more than 500 hull cleaning operations have been conducted using the ROV to date. Nearly half of those operations have been carried out in Dubai.
HullWiper’s recognition in the Dubai Maritime Innovation Awards is the sixth major industry accolade for GAC EnvironHull, and one of particular significance.
“It is especially gratifying to receive such recognition from our industry peers in the place from which we first launched our very own ‘yellow submarine’ nearly three years ago,” says GAC EnvironHull’s Managing Director Simon Doran. “This Award is further proof – if proof was needed – that people here really are getting the HullWiper message that ‘yellow is the new green’.
“The innovative spirit of Dubai is alive and well and fuelling growth and development, both locally and internationally.”