Environment title recognises environmental and safety benefits of HullWiper underwater hull cleaning system
Left: Simon Mullet, Chief Financial Officer, HPH, sponsor of the HPH Environment Award Middle: Neil Godfrey, Marketing Manager, Shipping Services, GAC UK Right: Fiona Bruce, hosting the evening
Left: Simon Mullet, Chief Financial Officer, HPH, sponsor of the HPH Environment Award Middle: Neil Godfrey, Marketing Manager, Shipping Services, GAC UK Right: Fiona Bruce, hosting the evening
London, UK – GAC EnvironHull has scooped a fifth major industry award for its innovative HullWiper hull cleaning technology – the HPH Environment Award at the 2016 Lloyds List Global Awards presented at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK, this week. The Lloyd's List Global Awards showcase key players in global shipping. The judges selected GAC EnvironHull for its unique solution to the problem of safely cleaning a ship’s hull in an environmentally sound way by ensuring that any debris removed is safely taken ashore rather than being discharged at sea. The HPH Environment Award recognises the role HullWiper Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) plays in preserving both the delicate marine eco-system and human life whilst delivering the benefits of a foul-free hull with little or no down time. HullWiper uses water jets to remove fouling rather than brushes or other abrasives which can damage expensive coatings. It also collects debris from the operation for ecological disposal on land, thus reducing the risk of cross-pollination of waters with alien species.  Since its launch in Dubai at the end of 2013, the system has been approved for use at ports in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, and more than 400 hull cleaning operations have been conducted using the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to date. “Being honoured in prestigious and globally recognised awards is a sure sign that we are doing something right, something that the marine industry as a whole is taking notice of,” says GAC EnvironHull’s Managing Director Simon Doran. “It also bears witness to the fact that safety and the integrity of the environment are matters that the global shipping community takes very seriously, as evidenced by the fact that more and more ship owners are seeking out innovative solutions like HullWiper that marry eco-friendly and safe practices with sound operational efficiency.”