Lamers System Care wins eleven more orders for Sonihull systems on Boluda Tugs

Following four successful installations for Boluda Towage Europe in 2019, Lamers System Care has received an order to install Sonihull’s Ultrasonic Anti-fouling Systems on a further 11 tugs in the Boluda fleet. The installations provide effective and environmentally safe antifouling protection in the vessels’ cooling water inlet pipes, strainers, box coolers, sea chests and onboard fire-fighting systems.

Boluda Towage Europe provides tailor-made towing services to customers in major ports in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The company is part of Boluda Towage Group, which has established itself as one of the leading maritime service providers worldwide.

One of the core values of Boluda Towage Europe is to cause as little harm to the environment as possible. An example of the commitment to this are the company’s five hybrid tugs. In addition, in 2019 Boluda opted to install Sonihull’s sustainable ultrasonic antifouling system.

These systems have many advantages compared to impressed current antifouling systems. Operators can expect to save up to 90% of capital and lifetime maintenance costs when protecting their raw seawater cooling systems with Sonihull. As a zero-harm solution, there are no poisons or biocides leached into the marine environment, no microplastics are shed from ablative coatings and no toxic metallic ions are left in your wake. Fitting is simple, there is no cutting, drilling, or welding and there are no expensive consumable anodes to replace.

In August 2019, Lamers System Care performed the first Sonihull installation on a Boluda tug. Three more followed, including the UNION CORAL and UNION PEARL. On these vessels, Sonihull protects the cooling water inlet pipes, strainers, box coolers, sea chests and firefighting systems from fouling. If the cooling water inlet pipes and box coolers are kept free from fouling, this will prevent all kinds of malfunctions in equipment and main engines. It is important for the strainers that they retain their functionality as a filter. Keeping the fire extinguishing system free from fouling is crucial for fire safety on board the ship.

We are proud of our professional partnership with Boluda Towage Europe. The company values sustainability and has a highly innovative character which helps them improve and future-proof their operations, maximizing the performance of their fleet.”

Bob Lamers, Managing Director of Lamers System Care

Background

Currently, 95% of all antifouling systems rely on the release of toxins into the environment – this is not environmentally sustainable. The clock is ticking because the world is legislating towards ‘zero harm’ solutions. Sonihull technology has zero biocides, zero poisons are leached into the oceans, zero microplastics are shed from ablative coatings and it has zero impact on other marine life.

The Science

Microscopic ultrasound-induced cavitation disrupts the first stages of the food chain without damaging the surface being protected. This action prevents the build-up of algae, slime and bigger more complex organisms on surfaces where biofouling is not wanted. The system is silent and the movement of water on the protected surface prevents the adhesion of juvenile barnacles and mussels.