A call for transparency in hull performance

Shipping faces a period of significant uncertainty. Geopolitical instability, shifting policy timelines and delays to the IMO Net-Zero Framework have prompted many operators to look inward, redirecting attention from regulatory compliance towards operational efficiency. Against this backdrop, over 90 participants recently gathered for the 11th HullPIC conference at Certosa di Pontignano, Italy, representing shipping companies, service providers, coating suppliers and technical experts.

The event, co-founded by Jotun and VB Conferences, covered the latest developments in ship performance and biofouling management.

Call for evidence-based performance claims

“Discussing developments in ship performance, technologies and practical solutions are of great interest and value to the industry, and even more so in light of the regulatory and commercial pressures that are impacting shipping trades, fuel prices and the environment,” said Jotun’s Morten Sten Johansen. “There is a sense that the industry, while moving in small steps, is steadily converging on better answers to longstanding questions, and that’s thanks in the main to the commitment of the HullPIC community to openly share knowledge, challenge conventional thinking and accelerate progress together.”

Johansen also called for evidence-based performance claims in the marine coatings sector. "Speed loss credibility matters because there is a growing disconnect between reported, claimed figures that introduce operational and regulatory risk. This not only affects individual vessels but may also distort fleet-level decarbonisation strategies", he warned, stressing the need to use a common assessment methodology such as ISO 19030 applied through independent review.

A consistent message from participants was that operational performance improvements represent some of the most accessible efficiency gains available to the industry – all dependent on reliable data foundation.

Conference organiser Volker Bertram identified long-term performance monitoring based on high-frequency data as the direction the industry is increasingly moving towards, with hull coatings, cleaning strategies and propulsion-improving devices all benefiting from more rigorous, continuous assessments.

Another speaker at the conference, David Pang from Swire Shipping, showcased a cost-benefit analysis of hull coatings across Swire’s fleet, arguing that decarbonisation efforts must bridge the gap between laboratory performance and operational reality. Several further presentations addressed data-driven optimisation, covering trim, data sampling and a new ISO 25817 initiative on fuel consumption evaluation.

At the same time Hamed Vaseghnia in Jotun advocated for CFD-based digital frameworks as alternatives to purely empirical methods for vessel rating and performance assessments, while Albis Marine Performance’s Falko Fritz drew on 13 years of high-frequency monitoring data to highlight an 11 to 12 percentage point gap in hull overconsumption between two operators using identical monitoring systems. “The problem isn’t the tool,” said Fritz. “It’s the combination of commercial incentives, data discipline, and organisational willingness to act.” At roughly USD 400,000 per percentage point per year across a 25-vessel fleet, the stakes are considerable.

Fuel costs and ETS driving energy efficiency investments

A survey carried out during the conference showcased that fuel costs and ETS ranked first as the driver of energy efficiency investment, with 56% placing it top. Regulatory compliance came second, charter attractiveness third, and environmental responsibility last, confirming that financial and regulatory pressures remain the primary commercial motivators. On investment posture, close to 47% favoured investing soon to cut costs and 37% preferred acting immediately to stay ahead of regulation. Hull condition and fouling assessment was the most cited use case for vessel performance management at 50%, followed by routing and speed optimisation at 28%.

The conference included a panel forum featuring Martin Koepke (Hapag Lloyd), Elgan Moses (TUI Cruises), Falko Fritz (Albis) and Richard Marioth (Idealship), moderated by Johansen and Bertram. Moses made a pointed case for end-user focus: “Captains and chief engineers have no interest in model sophistication or technical jargon. Output must be simple, accessible and actionable.” He proposed reframing “insights as a service” as “useful and actionable insights as a service.” The cruise industry, he noted, already faces data oversaturation with 80,000 data points per vessel at five-second intervals and tools that, despite considerable investment, are not being used. The human element, the panel agreed, is consistently underestimated.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) also featured prominently, with the panel taking a measured view: both are useful but currently overhyped, with physics remaining the necessary foundation. Marioth argued that the ML community should be held to documentation standards, requiring a minimum description of architecture, training data and safeguards so that methods can be independently evaluated. On what comes next, the panel pointed to two priorities: integrating whole-voyage logistics so that vessels are not racing to port queues, and reforming charter party contracts, which Bertram described as copy-pasted from generations ago and ill-suited to modern performance monitoring. The panel called for standardised charter party templates that reward operational performance rather than legal representation.

“One of the biggest opportunities for further enhancing vessel performance is closing the gap between observation and impact,” said Malte Mittendorf (Mærsk Line) and added, “As an industry, we collect extensive performance data and underwater inspection reports, but they often exist in parallel. By improving data accuracy and directly linking hull condition observations to the vessel’s performance history, we can move from reactive fouling response to predictive as well as value‑based decision-making.”

Echoing the need for a predictive approach, Vivek Nair (Seaspan Ship Management) said, “The broader shipping industry has rapidly embraced condition-based maintenance and predictive models for engine rooms and onboard machinery, yet we continue to treat the hull, the single largest factor in fuel consumption, with archaic, calendar-based or highly reactive strategies. True improvement in ship performance requires us to bring the hull into the predictive era. By leveraging advanced data science to monitor micro-changes in resistance over time, we can pinpoint the exact inflection point where the cost of a proactive intervention is outweighed by the fuel penalty of degradation. It is time the industry manages hull fouling not as an inevitable consequence of time, but as a preventable anomaly managed through rigorous, predictive algorithms.”

Entering an energy awareness era

Carsten Manniche (Navigator Gas) noted that the industry has entered an awareness era. "The next step is to create the necessary energy awareness onboard and onshore just as we have done regarding safety. We are moving into an era that can be difficult to grasp as it involves human beings and behaviours, and not just energy efficiency improving devices. And do we have the right competencies for this new step?"

“Improving ship performance is not primarily a technical challenge but one of leadership, governance, and culture. Sustainable gains require visible commitment from top management, treating performance and decarbonization as long-term strategic priorities,” stated Nikos Mitropapas (CMA CGM) and added, “A holistic efficiency view must link hull, propulsion, machinery, operations, and emissions. Also, credible performance depends on high-quality sensors, quantified uncertainty, and transparent reporting. All that said, experimentation and failure must be accepted as essential drivers of learning and technical maturity.”

Gerry Docherty (Ardmore Shipping) commented, “Clearly, progress is being made across the industry in many aspects of hull performance optimisation. At the same time, it has to be acknowledged that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, and much can depend on ship type and trading patterns. Being able to collect high speed performance data is definitely an advantage, but only when this is combined with a proactive approach to coating application, hull performance, hull cleaning and fuel optimisation, can the true benefits be realised.

Collaboration at the core

The willingness of competitors, customers and partners to share knowledge openly, and the sense that the industry is steadily moving in the right direction through better data and deeper insights, was truly showcased at HullPIC.

“It is clear from the presentations, case studies and discussions during HullPIC that bridging performance measurement and biofouling management is seen by many as a central challenge the industry must continue to address, and we, the HullPIC community, remain committed to that because we firmly believe the critical conversations will help drive better outcomes across the industry,” concluded Johansen.