LR and IP form coatings team to advise Chinese yards

Shanghai: Lloyd's Register and International Paint have teamed up to offer shipyards in China step-by-step advice on how to prepare to meet the requirements of the new Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC) designed to increase vessel safety and lifecycles by preventing corrosion.

Interested Chinese shipyards are offered a free consultancy, or "gap analysis" survey, comparing their current processes for coating a ship's water ballast tanks to those that will be required under the new PSPC regulations adopted late last year by the IMO. To date, four such surveys have been completed for major Chinese shipbuilders.

"Chinese yards in general have been reluctant to sign PSPC contracts before fully understanding the extra costs (involved)," says Nick Brown, Lloyd's Register's general manager, business development China, "and so have proven keen to fully understand the impact of new regulations as they look to maintain their international competitiveness."

Many yards in Korea have already begun accepting PSPC-compliant contracts for new vessels and some yard executives believe the process could add 10% to construction costs.

"This is a logical collaboration designed to help yards in China gain the most complete understanding of the new regulations," adds Aidan Metcalfe, general manager of International Paint Shanghai. "The workshops also provide a very practical platform for the shipyards to consider their approach to managing the standard across the many functions which are affected."

Tripartite teams formed by Lloyd's Register, IP and the shipyard spend two days in each yard assessing the gap between current coating practices and PSPC requirements, which targets extending the coating lifecycle of vessels to 15 years. Results are then presented to the yard's top management, and a follow-up visit monitors subsequent progress in implementing change. [06/06/07]

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