MV Parana

F. Laeisz, one of Germany’s leading shipping companies, set out to strengthen the efficiency and sustainability of its 40‑vessel fleet by giving hull performance a dedicated strategic focus. Ahead of drydocking its PCTC vessel MV Parana in 2024, the company partnered with Hempel Marine to identify the most impactful way to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. By combining the advanced Hempaguard X8 hull coating with Hempel’s SHAPE performance analytics, F. Laeisz unlocked significant operational improvements—transforming a routine drydocking into a major step toward greener, more efficient shipping.

Among its many services, F. Laeisz provides A-to-B route car and truck carrying services for one of Germany’s largest car manufacturers. The MV Parana, a PCTC with a capacity of 5,000 revenue tons, runs one of these routes. F. Laeisz’s customer is deeply committed to reducing emissions across its supply chain — including from the PCTCs that transport its cars. 

The MV Parana already operates on 100% biofuel, but F. Laeisz saw an opportunity to go even further. By switching to a premium silicone hull coating, the company could achieve additional emission reductions — benefiting not only F. Laeisz and its customer, but also the environment. When the MV Parana entered drydock for routine maintenance, F. Laeisz turned to Hempel to help identify the best solution to enhance hull performance and unlock greater efficiency.

Hull performance must be seen from a lifecycle perspective. Therefore, we began by evaluating various hull upgrade scenarios, based on MV Parana’s trade and operational profile. Following this analysis, we recommended our Hempaguard X8 silicone hull coating in combination with SHAPE (Systems for Hull and Propeller Efficiency), a digital system for hull and propeller performance monitoring and optimisation. As part of our market-leading silicone hull coating portfolio, Hempaguard X8 is proven to improve efficiency across all vessel types and trading patterns.

It delivers an average fuel saving of up to 8 per cent over the entire docking interval compared to best-in-class antifoulings, as well as an average speed loss down to 1.2 per cent. To maintain peak performance, it’s important to understand how the vessel behaves in-service. SHAPE adds that visibility. With SHAPE, F. Laeisz can continuously assess the impact of drydocking, maintenance and in-service hull and propeller solutions on the vessel – giving it the data and insight it needs to continually maximise hull performance.