Hullbot robot with spinning brushes grooming the hull of a vessel in clear blue water
LESS FUEL & EMISSIONS

Why proactive grooming matters

Clean hull is the most powerful lever in maritime decarbonisation. It reduces fuel consumption, lowers Scope 1 emissions, and protects your vessel’s CII rating.

Coatings

Slime forms faster than coatings can prevent

  • Biofouling forms within hours, regardless of vessel speed or route.
  • All coatings accumulate slime layers, even high-performance biocidal antifouling coatings.

Proof in the field: microfouling across coating technologies

Silicone FRC coated panel after two weeks of slime growth

SPC

  • Water temperature:
    28°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 2 weeks of slime growth
Intersleek 1100SR coated panel after two weeks in 4°C water

Fluoropolymer FRC

  • Water temperature:
    4°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 2 weeks of slime growth
Hempaguard X7 coated panel after one week of slime growth

Silicone FRC

  • Water temperature:
    28–30°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 1 week of slime growth
Interspeed 640 coated panel after two weeks of slime growth

Ablative antifouling

  • Water temperature:
    8°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 2 weeks of slime growth
Intersleek 1100SR coated panel after four weeks idle

Fluoropolymer FRC

  • Water temperature:
    20°C
  • Vessel activity:
    Idle
  • 4 weeks of slime growth
Intercept 8500LPP coated panel after three weeks of slime growth

SPC

  • Water temperature:
    28°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 3 weeks of slime growth
Interplus 1180 coated panel after three days of slime growth

Epoxy coating

  • Water temperature:
    16–18°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 3 days of slime growth
Jotun Seaforce Active coated panel after two weeks of slime growth

SPC

  • Water temperature:
    26–30°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 2 weeks of slime growth
Hempasil X3+ coated panel after one week of slime growth

Silicone FRC with biocide

  • Water temperature:
    28–30°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 1 week of slime growth
Slime on an FRC biocide coated test panel after four weeks

Silicone FRC

  • Water temperature:
    28°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 4 weeks of slime growth
PPG Sigmaglide coated panel after one week of slime growth

Silicone FRC

  • Water temperature:
    26–28°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 1 week of slime growth
Intersleek 1100SR coated panel after three weeks of slime growth

Fluoropolymer FRC

  • Water temperature:
    12–14°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 3 weeks of slime growth
XGIT coated panel after twelve weeks of slime growth

Hard coating

  • Water temperature:
    8–11°C
  • Vessel activity:
    High utilisation
  • 12 weeks of slime growth

Thin slime creates drag

Thin slime creates drag. Drag creates resistance. Resistance means more fuel burned and more emissions released, for the same speed on the same route.

Just half a millimetre of slime is enough to drive a 10–25% increase in propulsive power demand and the associated fuel burn and emissions.*

Slime accumulation is not linear. The penalty accelerates the longer fouling is left untreated.

*Source: IMO, Impact of Ships’ Biofouling on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Remove slime from ships to cut emissions.

Why it matters

Grooming removes slime early and often

Every traditional hull cleaning solution removes fouling after it has already degraded vessel performance.

  • Reactive cleaning
    Cleans when fouling is visible

    By the time fouling is visible, fuel cost has increased for months. Heavy cleans are abrasive, take longer and never fully restores to baseline performance.

  • Proactive cleaning
    Clean every 3–6 months on a fixed schedule

    Fouling builds between cleans, keeping hull in prolonged sub-optimal condition and quietly inflating fuel costs.

  • Hullbot proactive grooming
    Clean weekly to monthly

    Frequent gentle grooming removes slime before macrofouling forms. Maintain hull at peak performance, minimise fuel burn and maximise coating life.

Why proactive grooming matters

Aerial view of a tanker under way on deep green water

  • Save fuel and reduce emissions

    Slime drives a 10–25% increase in fuel spend and GHG output.

  • Maintain optimal vessel efficiency

    By preventing fouling from ever becoming heavy, frequent grooming keeps hull resistance close to its as-built baseline. Consistently. Not just immediately after a clean.

  • Extend coating life

    Frequent, gentle grooming means cleaning can always use the most gentle method. Waiting for macrofouling forces more abrasive cleaning, shortening coating lifespan.

  • Meet regulatory compliance and improve CII rating

    Flawless hull condition protects Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) ratings and ensures full compliance with IMO and in-country in-water cleaning regulations.

  • Minimise risk of invasive species transfer

    Continuous hull grooming prevents biofouling transfers between ports, protecting local ecosystems.

Unmatched efficiency.
Operating globally.

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