Marine View – a deep dive into the marine industry
Get insight into the most important issues in the marine industry today with our in-depth knowledge articles. Covering the latest trends, technologies and research, Marine View gives you valuable new perspectives on your current and future challenges.
VOCs – Towards a solvent-free future
As the only coatings supplier in the Getting to Zero Coalition, Hempel is focused on helping achieve a zero emissions marine industry. As part of our efforts, we’re developing solvent-free newbuild coatings that meet the demands of shipyards, vessel owners and regulators.
Shipyards require a range of application properties, including low mixture viscosity, short drying times and long pot life – all in a wide range of climatic conditions. This must be achieved without compromising the anticorrosive and mechanical properties that vessel owners require from their coatings. And, it must be delivered in a cost-competitive way. This major challenge is pushing us to go beyond existing formulation tools to create genuinely innovative new technology in the field.
Antifouling challenges in new building; a growing problem in a changing world
When a vessel sits idle during newbuilding, fouling can become an issue for both owners and shipbuilders. Owners expect a new vessel to perform with optimal fuel-efficiency right from day one. Shipbuilders need to hand over a vessel in perfect condition, without extra restorative work.
Hempel’s new Globic 9500 series features an industry-leading biocide package that delivers long-term fouling protection as soon as the vessel touches the water – giving you outstanding fuel savings, rapid ROI and lower CO2 emissions on vessels with long outfitting periods, without additional cleaning or restorative work.
Coatings in new building –the value of versatility
With pressure on the newbuilding industry to become more efficient, versatile multi-purpose coatings can give your shipyard an edge.
Multipurpose primers, such as Hempel’s Quattro XO series, can be applied in a wide range of atmospheric conditions and application windows – enabling your shipyard to adapt more easily to changing production schedules, all year round. They can be used on different areas of the vessel, from the ballast tanks to the topsides, ensuring simpler and less expensive inventory management. And, with reduced VOCs and high anti-corrosive performance, they meet the needs of shipyards, regulatory authorities and vessel owners.
Hull efficiency. Quick fix thinking vs the power of fit-and-forget
With fluctuating fuel prices and changing operational patterns, the need to truly understand fuel efficiency options has never been greater. The right hull coating will minimise operational expenses and total cost of ownership over the entire docking interval. But some operators still look to reduce dry dock expenses by choosing a more quick-fix solution – hull cleaning.
Hull cleaning may be required following unexpected changes in trading patterns. But the data clearly show that in most situations and vessels, the most effective way to boost hull performance is to invest in a suitable hull coating at the last dry docking – a fit-and-forget approach that ensures the highest fuel and emissions savings, and optimum total cost of ownership.
Fuel and the hull coating business case
Only one thing is certain. To achieve the lowest costs and greatest sustainability, your vessels should use as little fuel as possible – which is where hull coatings come in. A high-performance hull coating will save you fuel, whichever type of fuel you use. Not only that, but the Green Ship of the Future project has shown that a high-performance hull coating will deliver as good as or higher savings than even Flettner rotors, and a return on investment in less than five months.
