Jotun’s contribution ensures that both coatings and cleaning technologies are considered together, supporting safer and more effective biofouling management globally.
A new international standard has been published to guide ports, shipowners and operators in cleaning vessels’ hulls in an environmentally responsible way. The standard, ISO 6319, seeks to make hull cleaning safer for ecosystems while supporting efforts to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Hull cleaning, a key measure to control biofouling, is becoming more common among shipowners. Biofouling—the accumulation of organisms such as algae and mussels on ships’ hulls—can spread invasive aquatic species, damage ecosystems, and increase drag, leading to higher fuel use. However, many ports still lack practical guidance on managing hull cleaning effectively.
The global protective coatings supplier Jotun
played a significant role in the development of ISO 6319 and is a key player in the hull-cleaning ecosystem. The company is a global leader in marine coatings designed to prevent biofouling and also offers a hull-cleaning robot compatible with its coatings.
“Many ports and authorities lack detailed knowledge about hull cleaning and are often unnecessarily sceptical of cleaning ships. ISO 6319 can help ports assess permits on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether the hull cleaning technology sufficiently protects the environment,” has stated Petter Korslund, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Jotun.
ISO 6319, titled ‘Conducting and documenting in-water cleaning of biofouling on ships,’ provides a framework for ports and regulators to request documentation from service providers, helping to ensure that hull cleaning is carried out responsibly without releasing harmful organisms or chemicals into the 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. Ports and regulators play a key role in enabling or prohibiting hull cleaning. ISO 6319 will help them make informed decisions,” has said Irene Øvstebø Tvedten, Senior Adviser at Bellona and project manager for the Clean Hull Initiative.
Shipowners, too, stand to benefit. Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a leading RoRo operator, contributed to ISO 6319 and is using enhanced hull maintenance to lower fleet emissions. “When applications follow the same structure and technical specifications, ports and authorities can process them more efficiently. For us as a shipping company, this means fewer operational disruptions and greater predictability,” said Kim-Helge Brynjulfsen, Senior Manager at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
“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,” has added Luc Van Espen, Port Environment Expert at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges
“ISO 6319 helps guide approval authorities on the actual risks of cleaning and how to manage and mitigate those risks while promoting environmentally sound practices,” has concluded Mark Riggio, Technical Director at BEMA, a group of hull-cleaning service providers.