Improve environmental performance with a ship-specific biofouling management plan

Effective biofouling management reduces a ship’s energy consumption and thus greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also mitigating the spread of invasive aquatic species. This news describes how a ship-specific biofouling management plan can support ship owners and managers in minimizing biofouling.

Relevant for ship owners and managers.

Managing biofouling with ship-specific biofouling management plan

Biofouling and its consequences on ship performance and the environment

Biofouling is the accumulation of marine organisms on a ship’s hull and niche areas. It significantly impacts a ship’s performance and marine ecosystems. Recent studies high-light the following consequences:

  • Increased fuel consumption: even light slime can increase fuel consumption by up to 20%, while heavy calcareous fouling can boost it by up to 85%.
  • GHG emissions: increased fuel consumption directly results in higher GHG emissions, undermining efforts to meet the IMO’s GHG strategy.
  • Invasive species: biofouling is a major vector for spreading of non-native species, with shipping responsible for 55% to 70% of established coastal and estuarine invasive species globally, disrupting local ecosystems.
  • Operational efficiency: fouling in niche areas such as sea chests and bow thrusters can disrupt water flow, compromise structural integrity and reduce a ship’s overall performance.

Why biofouling management?

Effective biofouling management offers many advantages:

  • Improved hydrodynamic performance
  • Reduced fuel consumption and emissions
  • Compliance with existing and evolving regulations
  • Prevention of invasive species spread
  • Protection of marine biodiversity

The IMO biofouling guidelines

At MEPC 83 in April 2025, the IMO agreed to develop a legally binding framework for controlling and managing ships’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species.

While biofouling management will become an international requirement in 2029 at the earliest, MEPC already adopted revised guidelines in 2023, the Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships’ Biofouling to Minimize the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species (Resolution MEPC.378(80)). These guidelines aim to minimize biofouling for all types of ships by providing a globally consistent biofouling management approach.

Screenshot

The 2023 IMO biofouling guidelines introduce several new approaches to biofouling management:

  • Risk-based approach: emphasizing ship-specific risk pro-files and the monitoring of key parameters, with appropriate anti-fouling systems (AFS) selected based on ship design, operating profile and environmental conditions
  • Detailed documentation: requiring comprehensive biofouling management plans (BFMP) and biofouling record books (BFRB), with the BFMP detailing the AFS used, inspection schedules, cleaning procedures and contingency actions – and the BFRB maintained to document all biofouling management activities, inspections and cleaning operations
  • Regular inspections: introducing a fixed schedule for inspections based on the ship’s risk profile
  • Cleaning recommendations: providing a rating scale for biofouling and the corresponding recommendations for proactive and reactive cleaning methods, focusing on minimizing environmental impact

How a ship-specific BFMP can minimize biofouling

DNV's Biofouling Management Plan Generator follows the 2023 IMO biofouling guidelines and covers all the important aspects of biofouling management. This includes anti-fouling system installation, cleaning and maintenance, contingency action plans, inspection, and assessment of biofouling risk.

An BFMP in accordance with Resolution MEPC.378(80) requires more ship-specific data, in-depth risk analyses and contingency actions. Consequently, it more effectively supports ship owners/managers in minimizing biofouling than plans based on the previous IMO biofouling guidelines within MEPC.207(62). The DNV generator significantly streamlines the process of creating an effective BFMP, saving time when updating an existing plan or developing a new one.

The DNV Biofouling Management Plan Generator is available in the Fleet Status under My services on Veracity and is free of charge to DNV customers; see above screenshot which is from the DNV biofouling generator.

Approval of in-water cleaning companies

At MEPC 83, IMO also adopted new guidance on in-water cleaning of ship’s biofouling. DNV has already established class programme DNV-CP-0663 for approval of service suppliers performing in-water cleaning of biofouling.

Recommendations

Using the DNV Biofouling Management Plan Generator allows ship owners to implement the 2023 IMO biofouling guidelines and prepare tailored biofouling management plans based on vessel-specific data to comply, as applicable, with port state regulations (e.g. Australia and New Zealand).

These plans enhance biofouling management, improve vessel performance, reduce fuel consumption and support environmental sustainability, ultimately leading to cost savings and regulatory compliance.

References

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