Preparing MV AQUAPISCES from Manganese Ore and Pet Coke to Wheat Standard En Route from Ventspils to Rouen
When a bulk carrier carries a combination of heavy, stain-prone industrial commodities back-to-back, the internal steel structures undergo severe cosmetic and structural contamination. For the Ultramax bulk carrier MV AQUAPISCES (5 holds, 60,238 DWT, 77,240 cubic meters), the challenges were doubled. Her previous consecutive cargoes included petroleum coke (pet coke)—which leaves an oily carbon film—and manganese ore, which produces highly stubborn, deep black staining across the bulkheads.
The objective was clear: the vessel needed to completely eliminate both contaminants to achieve a strict international grain cleanliness standard before loading wheat in bulk. Facing a short sea voyage through Northern Europe from Ventspils, Latvia, to Rouen, France, the shipowners could not afford intermediate port delays or anchorages. To ensure a guaranteed inspection pass with zero scheduling disruptions, Delta Maritime Agency mobilized its specialized riding team to perform high-efficiency hold cleaning en route from port to port.
Overcoming Dual Contamination with Advanced Sponging and High-Altitude Cleaning
Relying on standard onboard water rinsing would simply cause the oily pet coke film to bond with the manganese ore dust, creating a thick, muddy paste that would clog the ship's drainage lines. To prevent this, Delta Maritime Agency's professional hold cleaning team deployed an aggressive, highly systematic manual and mechanical extraction plan.
Our certified professional high altitude cleaners scaled the internal frame corrugations and under-deck spaces of the 5 massive holds. Utilizing specialized bamboo poles and adjustable aluminum stick extensions fitted with heavy-duty marine sponges, our crew manually broke down the physical bond of the dark manganese and pet coke residues yard-by-yard before any mass washouts commenced.
Our Standardized 5-Stage Holds Maintenance Framework
To guarantee that the 77,240 cubic meters of hold space met strict agricultural clearance guidelines, our seagoing crew executed our rigorous 5-stage holds maintenance protocol:
- Manual Sponging & Brushing: High-altitude structural scrubbing using specialized extensions tipped with industrial marine sponges to lift compacted ore film and pet coke soot.
- Comprehensive Washout: Intensive marine holds washing to flush out all dislodged cargo traces. This washing sequence was repeated dynamically until all visual residues were entirely eliminated.
- Industrial HP Machine Cleaning: Deep mechanical scrubbing of highly contaminated lower framing parts, hoppers, and the main tank top using industrial high-pressure (HP) washing equipment.
- Freshwater Rinsing & Complete Drying: A meticulous final fresh water (FW) rinse across all holds and hatch coamings to remove salt minerals. The bilge wells were deeply cleaned, cleared of sediment, and flushed, followed by a total drying of the tank tops.
- Technical Spot Painting: Because pet coke and heavy manganese ore accelerate abrasive wear and tear on steel structures, our crew completed a full renewal of the protective paint coating across the hoppers to cover rust appearances and secure maximum structural protection.
Flawless Pass at the Wheat Inspection: Zero Downtime
By operating around the clock in structured 24/7 rotations throughout the sea transit, our crew successfully eliminated every trace of pet coke film and manganese staining. When the MV AQUAPISCES arrived at the loading berth in Rouen, France, the cargo holds passed the strict independent agricultural survey flawlessly on the very first attempt.
Executing the entire project en route completely bypassed intermediate anchorage downtime, protecting the charter fixture and saving the vessel operator thousands of dollars in port expenses.