According to Port of Tallinn, the cleaning and other procedures carried out on ships` hulls underwater surfaces can in their premises be conducted only when the residue is collected starting from May. This decision is yet a new step towards becoming the greenest port in the Baltic Sea area.
Ellen Kaasik, the Environmental manager of Port of Tallinn said, that the sustainability strategy of Tallinn Port involves a major activity plan to decrease the environmental impact of the port and ships staying there. „Our investments in recent years and also next upcoming ones into technical innovations such as shore power, auto-mooring or waste management are just view to name. We also look very closely on all services provided here and the decision to collect all hull cleaning residue was therefore the only way to go, as any kind of waste will add to the eutrophication problem of the sea, “added Kaasik.
The hull cleaning service in Port of Tallinn water area can be provided from now on only with the permission of the Vessel Traffic Shift Manager, provided that cleaning residues are collected to prevent their release into the marine environment.
At the moment, an operator from Finland, DG Diving Group has announced its readiness to provide the hull cleaning services in Port of Tallinn premises. The company uses patented, innovative technology to clean the ships with the help of specialized divers and is currently developing a hull cleaning machine that does not require divers. The residue consisting of both bio- and chemical materials, is collected in a tank on shore and the filtered water is let back to the sea.
“The ships need the hull cleaning depending on the season 1-2 times per month to prevent too large quantities biological particles attaching to the underwater part. This enables the ships to be the most efficient in terms of fuel usage and speed as well as keep the hull overall well maintained,” commented Mika Rouhola from DG Diving Group Oy. The company estimates that 200 meters long ship hulls can carry around 800 kilograms of biological matter attached underwater. The patented technological solution for the underwater cleaning was invented by the owner of the company, Mr. Mauri Kalliomäki and is used already in several Finnish and Swedish ports. The equipment meets the environmental requirements of the Swedish authorities (in Malmö and Gothenburg), which are the highest standard in the Baltic sea, following the guidelines of IMO and HELCOM.
As being a responsible and environmentally friendly company, Port of Tallinn regularly contributes to minimizing its environmental impact. When ensuring the sustainable development of the company, the emphasis is on environmental priorities and the pursuit of climate neutrality by 2050. We will always act responsibly with regard to our natural and marine environment and proceed from the knowledge that our home sea- the Baltic Sea- has one of the most sensitiive ecological systems in the whole world.
DG-Diving Group Ltd is a modern diving company established in 1982 and is a well-known service provider operating in the Baltic Sea region, facilities in Turku and Helsinki. The company is focused on underwater ship husbandry, maintenance, repair and inspection activities for shipping industry. Company has more than 10 dive teams available.