Press Release | 13 February 2019
Schulte Group acquires majority share in TecHullClean to expand range of innovative IMO-compliant maritime underwater inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) solutions.
The Hamburg-based Schulte Group announces today that it has acquired a majority stake in TecHullClean Limited (THC), a Singapore registered underwater IRM technology company headquartered in Singapore and Algeciras, Spain and with further subsidiaries in Spain, Gibraltar and Ghana.
THC specializes in underwater hull cleaning, inspection and propeller polishing services that are compliant with local regulations as it prepares for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) Guidelines for the control and management of vessels’ biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species.
THC’s founder, Paw Rene Jakobsen, who has been a key player and well-known figure in the commercial diving industry for 35 years, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer at THC following the transaction. Committed to the success of THC, Paw says “The team at THC is proud that the Schulte Group has become our partner and we look forward to benefit from their global presence. We have already concluded licence agreements in Qatar, Brazil, Algeciras, Gibraltar and Ghana and look forward to further expanding our innovative cleaning technology to other ports.”
Shaun Harbinson, the new Chief Commercial Officer of THC, who has been in the shipping industry for more than 20 years in various executive roles in Germany, mentions: “The underwater cleaning industry has historically been very fragmented, with small players offering inconsistent services. With the Schulte Group and the THC team combining its forces, we are able to expand our technology quickly into other regions.”
Tobias Pinker, Schulte Group CFO, who oversees the Schulte Group maritime service division (Schulte Maritime Services) from the office in Singapore states: “Cost effective biofouling removal and debris collection has been an issue for this shipping industry since long. The authorities have focussed more and more on the environmental aspects of the biodiversity due to invasive species and we are glad that we have been able to create this joint venture with Paw and Shaun. We started investing in hull cleaning and underwater repair technology three years ago and this joint venture marks another important milestone to offer shipping companies a toolbox of different systems on a global scale.”
About the Schulte Group
The Schulte Group is a world-leading family-owned ship owner and ship manager with over 135 years of expertise in the maritime industry. Overall, the Group employs 18,000 seafarers and 1,800 people on shore, owns 90 vessels and manages over 600 vessels globally.
About TecHullClean Pte. Ltd.
TecHullClean Pte. Ltd. is an underwater hull cleaning company specialising in the development and manufacture of environmentally friendly hull cleaning equipment and solutions, in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee’s (MEPC) 2011 Guidelines for the Control and Management of Ships’ Biofouling to Minimise the Transfer of Invasive Aquatic Species.
All equipment is designed, tested and approved in collaboration with the University of Cadiz, major shipping lines and global anti-fouling paint manufacturers.
These solutions, once approved and tested by the relevant stakeholders, are made available to ship owners, operators and agents globally, with established contracts in Europe, Qatar, South America and West Africa.