The economic impact of ultrasonic antifouling systems

The commercial maritime industry grapples with varying economic challenges that affect operations and profitability. As a fleet manager or ship owner, you cannot control some issues, such as hiking fuel costs, ship maintenance bills, and compliance costs triggered by changing maritime regulations. 

However, you can implement proactive mitigation measures to control the cost impact and maintain operational efficiency. One smart strategy is embracing innovative solutions like ultrasonic antifouling systems to help seal the efficiency gaps that contribute to increasing fuel costs and operational expenses. 

USP DragGone™ is a top-tier ultrasonic antifouling system that can help you manage common marine economic issues by increasing operational efficiency. By offering excellent hull protection 24/7, USP DragGone™ effectively prevents biofouling, a major source of efficiency drain in shipping operations. 

Let’s explore in detail how advanced ultrasonic technology solutions like USP DragGone™ help fleet managers and owners alleviate the economic impact of common marine challenges. 

Boosting fuel efficiency

The prices of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) are volatile, given the many external factors that influence supply and demand. For starters, the rise in crude oil prices directly leads to VLSFO price hikes, considering that VLSFO’s main component is crude oil. Additionally, the 2020 sulfur cap on fuel oil by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) spiked the demand for VLSFO, leading to a significant price jump. 

A spot-check on Ship & Bunker reveals how fickle the prices of  VLSFO, Marine Gas Oil (MGO), and other bunker fuels are. In May 2024 alone, VLSFO prices changed daily, starting at $713.00 per metric ton on May 1st and dropping to $637.50 per metric ton as of May 24th. 

Price volatility affects the maritime economy significantly, as fuel costs account for 35-40% of voyage expenses. Even so, you shouldn’t lose sleep over changing fuel prices, as the market will always fluctuate. But you can optimize your vessel’s fuel efficiency, which is where ultrasonic antifouling solutions like USP DragGone™ come in.

How ultrasonic antifouling reduces a ship’s fuel
consumption

A major effect of marine biofouling is increasing a vessel’s drag and frictional resistance. Barnacles, biofilms, and other macrofouling organisms that colonize the hull can weigh nearly 10 tons. This extra tonnage makes a ship harder to steer due to increased water resistance. As a result, a vessel has to generate more shaft power to cruise, causing it to consume more fuel than it would without biofouling. 

In fact, recent research indicates that calcareous fouling increases shaft power by almost 86%, raising a ship’s fuel consumption by 10-20%. On top of that, biofouling reduces a vessel’s cruising speed significantly, leading to late deliveries and missed business opportunities. 

Since fuel prices are already volatile enough, no fleet manager wants biofouling to add to this. Fortunately, USP DragGone™ is the perfect antifouling solution for you. This advanced ultrasonic antifouling system offers ship operators a 13% reduction in fuel consumption. 

USP DragGone™ enhances the hydrodynamic performance of your vessels by effectively preventing  biofouling, thanks to its proprietary technologies:

• Guided Wave: With this technology, USP DragGone™ channels ultrasonic energy along the hull structure, creating an electric field that prevents biofouling organisms from attaching to the hull. 
• Heterodyning: This technology emits multiple frequencies into the hull that then dissipate into the water, disrupting the cellular growth of biofouling organisms. It prevents microfouling and macrofouling by creating an inhabitable environment for any biofouling organism. 

When your vessel’s hull is foul-free, you cruise at optimum propulsion efficiency and experience minimum hydrodynamic drag. These factors enhance your vessel’s fuel efficiency, so your fuel consumption rate remains standard.

Minimizing hull maintenance costs

Hull cleaning is perhaps the most crucial maintenance process for vessels because it’s the only way to remove existing biofouling. Underwater hull cleaning is difficult and risky, as it involves deep-diving to reach the flat bottom and clean out the accumulated fouling. Professional hull cleaners are experienced deep divers who know their way around deep waters, meaning they naturally charge higher for manual hull cleaning.

Alternatively, ship cleaners can utilize technology such as remote operating vehicles (ROV) or drones to clean hulls and other submerged ship surfaces. Regardless of the underwater cleaning technique, cleaning the hulls of bigger vessels like Panamax, container ships, cargo ships, tankers, and bulk carriers is expensive. Depending on vessel size and cleaning technique applied, the total costs range from around $5,000 to $50,000.

Besides underwater techniques, hull cleaning can be done on a graving or floating dry dock. However, dry-docking vessels is even more expensive considering the extended downtime and dry-docking costs that can be as high as $850,000 per vessel. 

To mitigate such costs, ship operators often prefer to complete hull cleaning as part of routine maintenance when required by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to dry-dock. Most commercial ships dry-dock every 2-3 years, making dry-dock hull cleaning an insufficient method of consistently dealing with biofouling.

Even with improved ship cleaning technology, hull cleaning will likely remain a costly vessel maintenance procedure. But the good news is fleet owners can drastically reduce the frequency of hull cleaning by preventing biofouling in the first place. And this is where ultrasonic antifouling saves the day. 

How ultrasonic antifouling systems mitigate
hull maintenance costs

USP DragGone™ offers reliable hull protection, whether you cruise in fresh or salt water. Our ultrasonic antifouling system deters all forms of biofouling organisms from attaching to a vessel’s hull and reduces the risk of invasive species translocation.

By preventing biofouling, DragGone™ helps you avoid costly delays due to emergency cleaning operations, eliminates the risk of being denied entry into environmentally sensitive regions, and ensures compliance with international regulations designed to protect marine ecosystems.

A clean hull requires less cleaning, translating to substantial time and cost savings. You save money on buying hull cleaning products and paying professional cleaners because you don’t have to do detailed cleaning every time, as our ultrasonic system adequately prevents hull macrofouling and microfouling. Additionally, you use less time to clean out the hull, allowing your vessel to resume operations without further delays. 

Reducing hull cleaning costs is a big financial gain, considering the high costs and the fact that it’s a service your fleet can’t function without. While there are upfront costs of installing an ultrasonic antifouling system, the cost savings you enjoy in terms of lower hull cleaning costs over the long term make your investment economically viable.

Enhancing operational efficiency

Achieving operational efficiency in your fleet is about realizing maximum output from minimum input. In the maritime sector, it means achieving optimum cargo delivery rates while keeping voyage costs minimal. Voyage costs include expenses for:

• Fuel
• Ship crew
• Fleet maintenance
• Port charge and other voyage-related costs

When a ship operates at maximum efficiency, it also minimizes its emission rate, a crucial factor in today’s eco-conscious society. A 2023 Global Maritime Report found that vessels maximizing operational efficiency can save $50 billion in fuel costs and reduce their annual greenhouse gas emission by 200 million tons. 

But as the report acknowledges, achieving such significant milestones requires fleets to operate at peak efficiency. The challenge is greater as fleet owners work toward the universal goal of restricting global warming to 1.5°C by the end of 2030, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement. Achieving such a remarkable goal requires maritime players to give their best shot at running efficient shipping operations. 

True, operational efficiency requires concerted efforts and proper planning. As we discuss below, leveraging ultrasonic antifouling technology is one strategy that can help fleet owners optimize their operations.

How ultrasonic antifouling technology levels up
operational efficiency

A dependable system like USP DragGone™ bridges some common efficiency gaps in maritime operations. Here’s how:

Cost savings can be re-channelled toward boosting operations: You can reinvest the fuel and maintenance cost savings you get from using ultrasonic systems into projects that directly enhance your operational efficiency. For instance, you can hire more skilled staff, purchase fleet management software, or upgrade navigation equipment.

Limiting downtime during hull cleaning: Ultrasonic systems keep a vessel’s hull foul-free, reducing the frequency of hull cleaning. This way, your vessel will not be out of business for long, allowing you to utilize it optimally.

Enabling vessels to cruise at maximum speed: USP DragGone™ prevents biofouling and water drag resistance, empowering ships to cruise at maximum efficiency. Your fleet will cover more nautical miles in less time, which allows you to transport more cargo in fewer days. 

Frees up time and resources to focus on shipping operations: Because USP DragGone™ requires minimum maintenance after proper installation, fleet managers don’t have to check it constantly. They can focus on improving or upscaling fleet operations without worrying that biofouling will catch them by surprise and impede their operations.

Ultrasonic antifouling systems contribute directly and indirectly to operational efficiency. As long as your system works well 24/7, these efficiency gains will be inherent in your marine fleet operations. 

Every fleet manager focuses on enhancing operations because the results reflect in the bottom line. This also keeps the company competitive and extends its longevity in the shipping industry. Fleet companies that achieve and sustain operational efficiency get more business opportunities, especially during festive seasons when demand for certain products spikes. 

Promoting long-term savings

The sweeping technological, operational, and environmental changes in the marine industry all but increase the cost of running a business in the short term. Many changes, like the IMO requirements for 2024, push up compliance costs as ship owners must comply to stay in business. However, the long-term savings of these changes in terms of boosting cost and efficiency are evident. 

Ultrasonic antifouling is one of the changes that has upfront costs, but enhances long-term savings for marine fleets. For instance, the 13% reduction in fuel consumption from USP DragGone™ is a substantial cost discount, especially if you run a fleet of ships. Because this system has been designed to serve you for about ten years, you can save considerable money over that time. 

Fortunately, you can calculate your fuel and CO₂ savings using the DragGone calculator. Say you operate a 45-foot yacht. If you use DragGone, you will save $35,800 annually in fuel costs and 1,557 tons of CO₂. After ten years, you would have saved $358,000. Such are the long-term savings ship owners enjoy directly from their DragGone investment. 

Other indirect long-term savings maritime players get from ultrasonic antifouling systems include:

• Reduces labor and repair costs: Ship owners spend less money paying professionals to clean the hull, as it needs less frequent cleaning when it’s protected by an ultrasonic antifouling system. They also spend less on hull repair costs as the system enhances a hull’s corrosion resistance. 
• Prevents penalties from regulatory bodies: Without using toxic biocides for antifouling, ship operators don’t risk fines for damaging the marine environment. Ultrasonic systems are eco-friendly and still get the job done. 
• Sustained operational efficiency: The ultrasonic system protects the hull against antifouling, enabling the ship to cruise optimally. As a result, the ship can transport larger volumes of cargo swiftly and get paid faster.

Make USP DragGone™ your antifouling partner and enjoy lifelong biofouling protection

Ultrasonic antifouling technology is the future of antifouling, and the USP DragGone™ is its firstborn. Cathelco started working on ultrasonic systems in 2016, and has continually improved quality and eclipsed competing products in the market, thanks to their two patented technologies: Guided Wave and Heterodyning. 

Fleet owners and operator using DragGone can enjoy:

• Enhanced operational efficiency: DragGone mitigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and biofouling to keep operational costs low.
• Cost savings: DragGone saves fuel and hull cleaning costs by up to 20%.
• Environmental compliance: DragGone contributes a 48,000-ton reduction in CO₂ in five years, helping fulfil IMO’s targets for carbon intensity reduction by 40% by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Future-proofing operations: DragGone constantly updates technology to prepare our customers for an industry shifting toward environmental sustainability and regulatory adherence.
• Sustainability commitments: DragGone is committed to pursuing eco-friendly practices to help customers win.