Darren Jones appointed chair of IMO GloFouling Alliance

Darren Jones, director of Sonihull, has been elected as the founding chair of the GloFouling Alliance.

The marine GIA (Global Industry Alliance) was launched in June 2020 by the International Maritime Organization to tackle two of the most pressing environmental issues – invasive species and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The goal of the GIA is to bring together shipping industry stakeholders, the private sector and global regulations to address the impact of biofouling on GHG emissions and the transfer of harmful aquatic species.

“Being elected as the chair of this GIA is an honour,” says Jones. “The shipping industry and the world’s oceans are at a tipping-point and it is essential that the marine industry comes together to share technology, ideas and legal frameworks to implement practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

“There is a very big job ahead of us. Currently there are around 94,000 ships in the world merchant fleet, with a total capacity of around 2bn deadweight tonnes. This figure doesn’t account for the vast array of other structures in the ocean, from wind turbines and offshore oil platforms to fish farms and floating solar arrays.

“Bio-fouling alone accounts for about $100bn in extra fuel and remedial costs, every year. This does not account for the unseen costs of invasive species and climate change. By replacing existing anti-fouling systems and practices with available zero-harm technologies, marine industries can meet the economic and environmental challenges created by biofouling without restrictive capital costs, without unnecessary downtime and without leaving a toxic legacy.

“It is going to be impossible to implement 100% zero-emissions cargo vessels in the immediate future. However, there are significant margins to be unlocked which will extend the viability of the current world fleet, without further compromising the environment or operator viability.”

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, which Jones heads, says it has zero biocides, that zero poisons are leached into the oceans, that zero microplastics are shed from ablative coatings, and that it has zero impact on other marine life.