Spending More Time at Sea
Margins are tight for vessels that operate offshore or in coastal waters. Take the global offshore support vessel (OSV) market for example, it looks set to be yet another challenging year which has concerned senior executives preparing for a sixth year of downturn. Many had hoped that 2019 would be the year that marked a turning point in OSV fortunes, but the uptick hasn’t materialized, and there is renewed anxiety about what could potentially be the worst market since the 1980s.It…
COATINGS: Chasing Better Prospects
As the offshore industry recovers, choosing the right hull coating for those newly activated assets will be equally important.The global offshore support vessel (OSV) market is still recovering from a protracted slump, but thankfully momentum is now returning with predictions for significant activity for OSV’s ahead. As summarized in a report by market analysts Grand View Research, projections are for the OSV market to exceed USD 71 billion by 2022 on the back of a significant increase in projects reaching final investment decision (FID) status, and a rising demand for oil and gas worldwide.
AkzoNobel to Coat Chinese Icebreaker
Dutch multinational company AkzoNobel‘s coatings solution selected by Polar Research Institute of China to protect its first domestically built polar icebreaker, Xue Long 2 from harsh Arctic and Antarctic condition.Purpose-built to cope with thick ice sheets and the extreme challenges of polar exploration, the 12,366 ton research vessel is coated with Intershield 163 Inerta 160 from the International product range.The tried and tested abrasion resistant system has a proven 47-year track record of performing in temperatures as low as -50°C and has already been used on more than 1,600 ships and icebreakers around the world.“As a pioneer…
Marine Coatings: Moving with the Tide
The maritime industry has always followed a path of gradual improvement, albeit with many opting to travel the route of least resistance. In some ways, this is a good thing. A cautious approach to navigating change brings stability, assurance and predictability. This measured attitude toward managing change has been fundamental to ensuring that the commercial shipping industry remains the most financially viable transportation solution for moving most goods around the world. But…
Intertrac Vision Incorporates Cruise Vessels
AkzoNobel’s marine coatings business has announced the addition of cruise vessels to Intertrac Vision, its ‘big data’ tool that provides accurate and transparent predictions on the fuel and CO2 savings potential of fouling control coatings, prior to application. The new version of Intertrac Vision brings an increased level of transparency and choice to the cruise sector, enabling AkzoNobel to work consultatively with customers to ensure the most effective and appropriate coatings solution is selected for each vessel within a fleet.
AVSEA Engineering for Reduced Maintenance
2007 was another successful year for the Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Engineering for Reduced Maintenance (EFRM) team, with the warfighter-focused program making great strides in reducing shipboard maintenance burdens. Working under NAVSEA’s Naval Systems Engineering Directorate, the EFRM team seeks to streamline costly and time-consuming maintenance procedures in the Fleet. At January’s Surface Navy Symposium, NAVSEA Commander, Vice Adm. Paul E. Sullivan, talked about the importance maintenance plays in achieving NAVSEA’s mission. “We can’t just build the new ships we need for the 313-ship Navy and go home,” said Sullivan. Whether reducing significant Fleet maintenance costs…
