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Live from Sea Asia

Choice of vessels’ hull coating crucial to efficient operations: Hempel

Choice of vessels’ hull coating crucial to efficient operations: Hempel
The choice of marine coating on a vessel’s hull is a critical consideration for operators in view of the impact on fuel consumption and associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to Hempel.
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Coatings manufacturer Hempel pointed out that a clean and smooth hull reduces friction between the ship and the sea, making the movement of the ship through the water more streamlined and efficient, thereby reaping fuel savings and reducing emissions as well.

Amid the tough business environment in global shipping, Hempel understands that operators are seeking sustainable solutions to meet operators’ efficiency needs. At the Sea Asia 2017 conference and exhibition this week, Hempel [B2-R09] is and is showcasing its innovative fouling defence coating, Hempaguard.

Launched in 2013, Hempaguard delivers a significant 6% fuel saving compared to best-in-class antifoulings over the entire service interval, and has shown outstanding resistance to fouling - including during idle periods of up to 120 days.

Hempaguard uses an advanced combination of hydrogel-silicone and an efficient fouling preventing biocide in a single coat, releasing 95% less biocide than traditional antifoulings, giving higher efficiency and better environmental performance.

Significantly, Hempaguard retains its effectiveness when switching between slow and normal steaming giving fleet operators unrivalled flexibility over their fleet utilisation, providing competitive advantage in a difficult market.

Hempel cited that international tanker owner Euronav has been applying Hempel silicone coatings since 2007 and was keen to try this new technology. An application of Hempaguard was applied to the VLCC Famenne, which mainly trades in warm waters that are prone to aggressive fouling.

Inspections at 23 months and 45 months confirmed that Hempaguard continued to deliver a clean and smooth hull. These positive results have encouraged Euronav to switch a number of its vessels to Hempaguard.

“Hempel’s R&D efforts continuously focus on bringing top coating solutions to the marine industry, ensuring the company offers products and services that contribute to optimising a vessel’s performance and minimising operational costs across its life cycle,” Hempel stated.