Wallenius invests in hull cleaning in joint venture with Saab

Published 29 January, 2021
A thin layer of biological growth on a vessel’s hull causes higher fuel consumption and may spread invasive species, which can collapse entire eco systems. That is why Wallenius invests in the hull cleaning company C-Leanship, in a joint venture with current owner Saab.

C-Leanship is a leading provider of hull cleanings and inspections in Singapore, and are now in an expansive phase. With the ShipShiner 02 robots, C-Leanship are able to clean vessels in terminals during a port call. The biofouling is collected and transported to a certified incineration facility in Singapore.

“We strive for truly sustainable shipping. C-Leanship reduces the problem of invasive species, which supports UN Goal 14; Life below water. This partnership complements the rest of our sustaintech portfolio” says Jonas Kleberg, CEO Soya Group.

Reduces climate impact

Biological growth on the hull, also called fouling, is a big problem when reducing the climate impact from a vessel. Fouling gives a higher friction, which means that the ship consumes more fuel and therefore release more air emissions. It also provides an opportunity for species to move between the world’s oceans. If the invasive species lack natural enemies in their new habitat, they can collapse entire ecosystems.

“Preventing the spread of invasive species, have long been an important goal for us. 15 years ago, we were involved in developing PureBallast, which is reducing organisms in ballast water using UV-light. Now, Wallenius invest in a solution that will reduce invasive species spreading through the biofilm on the hull. This is an important step towards truly sustainable shipping, where vessels should not leave any negative mark at all” says Per Tunell, COO Wallenius Marine.

Founded by Saab

C-Leanship is a product sprung out of Saab´s venture business with the goal to create value for Saab, provide solutions for customers, and to build new, independent companies that can be spun out from the Saab group.

“We are very happy to welcome Wallenius as new investors in C-Leanship, says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab. They bring extensive domain knowledge from shipping and excellent expertise in fleet performance and has also proven to be very successful in establishing and running successful joint ventures and new technologies. We look forward to our joint journey ahead.”