Bergen Harbor recently welcomed Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, to witness an innovative and environmentally friendly method of hull cleaning developed by ECOsubsea.

The AIDAnova cruise ship made its first visit of the season to Bergen where hull cleaning was on the agenda. Traditionally, washing a ship’s hull meant that everything removed—including heavy metals, toxins, and invasive species—was released directly into the sea. However, Bergen Harbor has now banned traditional hull cleaning methods that pollute the water. Instead, only cleaning systems that collect waste in a closed-loop system are permitted.

ECOsubsea has developed a solution that works like a giant vacuum cleaner, removing biofouling and collecting it for safe disposal. The sludge is transported to land and repurposed for biogas production. 
Bergen Harbor, alongside Oslo Harbor KF, is now working to establish a national policy for approving hull cleaning operations. Their long-term goal is for all Norwegian ports to adopt these sustainable standards, setting a new benchmark for eco-friendly maritime maintenance.

ECOsubsea’s innovative technology has already been deployed in major European ports, including Antwerp and Zeebrugge. According to ECOsubsea Carnival UK has been using ECOsubsea's cleaning services across their vessels in Southampton in the past three years. Using the Soft-Jet technology Carnival Uk cleans vessels about once per year and up to 8 times within a 6- month period without any indication of deterioration to the anti-fouling, but with noticeable fuel reductions.