Antifouling Paint News

The combined emissions of metals and other environmentally hazardous substances from ships is putting the marine environment at risk according to a new study from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.The researchers calculated the contaminant load from these emissions into the marine environment in four ports, and found that water discharged from ships’ scrubbers accounts for most of the contaminants.“The results speak for themselves. Stricter regulation of discharge water from scrubbers is crucial to reduce the deterioration of the marine environment…

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) has reduced carbon emissions to less than half of 2010 levels.According to HMM, the CO2 emissions generated when transporting 1TEU of container for 1 kilometer decreased from 68.7g in 2010 to 29.05g in 2021, representing a reduction of 57.7% over the last decade.This has been achieved amid a more than two-fold increase in fleet capacity, from 337,407 TEU to 755,209 TEU, over the same period.HMM attributes its success to its efforts to constantly upgrade its fleet with energy-efficient mega-vessels.

Nippon Paint Marine said it has secured a first reference for its new self-polishing antifouling paint FASTAR following an agreement with Turkey’s Iskenderun Ship Management to apply the coating to five bulk carriers scheduled to drydock in China this year.The Panamax ships Ata-M and Toros-M will drydock at COSCO’s Guangzhou shipyard in May and June respectively, with the 31,700dwt Selin-M, 32,949dwt Nihat-M, and the 50,212dwt Bozburun-M scheduled to follow in the second half of the year.FASTAR XI…

Ballast water management system manufacturer Techcross said it has opened the door to a new business: anti-biofouling technology.Having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a total of four customers, including three major domestic shipping companies and one Japanese shipping company at the end of last year, South Korea-based Techcross is working alongside each to research and develop technologies related to ship biofouling prevention and treatment equipment.Biofouling…

Coatings manufacturer Nippon Paint Marine has launched a new antifouling technology engineered to enhance antifouling performance while improving the time and the film thickness required for application.Introduced to the market this week, FASTAR is a self-polishing antifouling paint that incorporates a unique nano-domain resin structure designed to minimize the effect that seawater temperatures, vessel speeds and other external factors have on coating performance.It is by precisely…

Innovation and new technology continue to shape the marine coatings market. A narrowing field of global coatings manufacturers offer new products while improving existing ones to meet customer demand. Ultimately, customer demand, along with environmental compliance pressures are all driving the marine coatings industry as ship owners, operators and shipyards alike seek better products. Customer demands are often related to cost and efficiency. Costs – and the list is a long one – include not just product cost…

Interferry has unveiled a strategic plan promising to put safety issues at the heart of its work as the voice of the worldwide ferry industry. The pledge came at the global trade association’s 41st annual conference in Manila – a venue chosen to spotlight the challenges of domestic ferry safety in developing nations. According to Interferry, the plan signals its overriding ambition to help lift ferry safety in all parts of the world to the very high standard already in place in North America and Europe, where casualties in recent decades have been extremely rare.

One of the first commercial applications of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s new MAN Alpha Kappel FP propeller took place off the coast of China recently when the vessel Elsabeth C, a 58,500-dwt Supramax bulk carrier owned by Frontmarine Co. Ltd – an affiliated and managed company of Lemissoler Navigation Co. Ltd., the Cypriot ship management group – completed its sea trials. The newbuilding is the first in a series of eight sister ships, all featuring single MAN B&W 5S60ME-C8.2 engines with an SMCR 8050 kW at 89 rpm.

Pettit Marine Paint, leading manufacturer of high performance marine coatings, announced today the release of the all-new superyacht antifouling system, the Pettit XL line. Consisting of the top-selling antifouling products in Pettit’s line, the paints will be marketed as Pettit XL and sold specifically to the large boat market. With over 150 years of experience, Pettit’s offering of Pettit XL paints have been designed to provide exceptional protection for the big boat market. Pettit is also partnering with a European and an Austral-Asian paint company to provide worldwide availability of these new products. The Ultima SR60 multi-season copolymer delivers exceptional performance.

Pettit Marine Paint, manufacturer of high performance marine coatings, announced today the release of an entry-level water-based antifouling paint, Neptune 5. This latest addition to Pettit’s line of ecofriendly bottom paints provides lower applied cost per square foot, easier application and is priced for budget conscious consumers, the company said. Pettit said it has created a hybrid paint film strong enough to handle the tough marine environment, yet it self-polishes similar to a seasonal ablative.

On Earth Day, Norwegian Cruise Line NCL) celebrated key achievements from the past year that, as a part of its Eco-Smart Cruising program, help preserve the world's oceans. The company says that for more than four decades, it has committed to the protection of the oceans through sustainable environmental practices, investments in technology and a commitment to exceed regulatory requirements, fulfilling its core company value of Environmental Protection. NCL considers that its Eco-Smart Cruising program is leading the cruise industry with many innovative environmental policies and technologies, from garbage, waste and recycling programs to reducing the operational impact on the environment.

PPG caps a busy 2013 by launching three separate coatings; each intended for a specific application. As regulatory and operational requirements drive coatings decisions, it’s increasingly clear that, on the water, one size does not fit all anymore. You can get there, nevertheless, by the numbers. It has been a busy year for PPG Protective and Marine Coatings (PPG). With at least three new marine product releases and even a new production plant in Poland, the Pittsburgh, PA-based global coatings and specialty products company hasn’t stopped long enough to give the proverbial barnacles the smallest chance to slow its growth. Founded in 1883 and operating in nearly 70 countries around the world, PPG’s sales in 2012 exceeded $15 billion.

The Hydrocoat name has been synonymous with waterborne, marine ablative technology for almost 20 years. First came Pettit’s award winning Hydrocoat, a multi-season, ablative antifouling paint, which the manufacturer claims was the benchmark for clean, highly effective and easy to use antifoulings. Last year the Hydrocoat line was expanded when the, Hydrocoat SR, reportedly the world’s first and only dual-biocide, water-based, multi-season ablative bottom paint, was introduced to the market. Now, Pettit launched the latest product in the Hydrocoat line up, Hydrocoat Eco.

PPG Protective and Marine Coatings (PPG) has announced the launch of SIGMACOVER 580, a new innovation in epoxy anticorrosive/tiecoat that has been proven to deliver considerable savings and improved productivity at dry dockings. SIGMACOVER 580 has been carefully engineered to provide ease of use and economical application characteristics, the manufacturer said. It possesses a practical overcoating window and, with its ability to be applied at temperatures down to 5°C (41°F), offers year round application potential.

Under the terms of the agreement, Jotun will supply its top of the range Hull Performance Solution, including SeaQuantum X200 antifouling paint and a High Performance Guarantee, to a number of vessels scheduled for drydock in 2012 and 2013. The first vessel to be upgraded will be the 10 000 TEU COSCO Europe scheduled for dry docking September 2012. According to COSCO Container’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Hou Liping, the agreement is consistent with COSCO Container’s comprehensive commitment to Sustainable Development, part of which involves taking active steps to reduce Green House Gas emissions. Mr. Hou Liping said: “After extensive review we have concluded that hull performance can play a very significant role in further reducing our fuel cost and Green House Gas emissions.

Jotun COSCO Marine Coatings (Qingdao) Co Ltd has announced that the company has reached an important agreement with COSCO Container to help reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions. Under the terms of the agreement, Jotun will supply its top of the range Hull Performance Solution, including SeaQuantum X200 antifouling paint and a High Performance Guarantee, to a number of vessels scheduled for drydock in 2012 and 2013. The first vessel to be upgraded will be the 10 000 TEU COSCO Europe scheduled for dry docking September 2012. According to COSCO Container’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Hou Liping, the agreement is consistent with COSCO Container’s comprehensive commitment to Sustainable Development, part of which involves taking active steps to reduce Green House Gas emissions.

Lonza is pleased to announce it has received a registration from the U.S. EPA for the use of its copper Omadine Antimicrobial as an agent to deter the growth of algae and other foulants on ships. The registration covers the product’s use in marine hull paints that are applied by licensed applicators on U.S. vessels that are 25 or more meters in length. “This registration means our customers can now provide their latest antifouling paint technology in the United States,” explains Robert Martin, Global Strategic Marketing Manager for Lonza Microbial Control’s Marine Antifouling Paint business. “Many of the new self-polishing paints contain copper Omadine® Antimicrobial, the most widely used co-biocide in the world for marine antifouling paint applications.

Regulatory burdens, those here and now coming, translate into a tale of many acronyms. By Matthew Valcourt (taken from our September 2011 MarineNews print edition). The latest trend to further regulate vessel emissions and discharges will continue to give vessel owners and operators – already burdened with numerous regulations when plying international and inland waters – more sleepless nights. These include the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), the Clean Water Act (CWA)…

ZF Marine announced that they are now the North American distributor for Velox Plus antifouling paint. Well known by mariners worldwide, Velox Plus is an antifouling paint specifically designed to be used on underwater metal. Previously unavailable in North America, Italian based Marlin yacht paints have appointed ZF Marine LLC as the North American distributor for this product. Underwater marine growth is a common problem for vessel owners. While hull coatings have been designed to limit growth on the hull itself, the underwater fittings and shaftline have been exposed to marine growth, increasing drag, increasing fuel burn and potentially reducing engine life due to increased loading by a fouled shaftline.

Ecospeed reported that when a 965-ft cruise vessel came into drydock in the Bahamas last month after sailing with the company’s hull coating for two years, less than 1% of the underwater hull needed touch ups and no new paint layers were required on the rest of the underwater hull. As a consequence the technical operations that needed to be carried out on the vessel were very easy to plan because no repaint needed to be added to the schedule. Moreover, the vessel could leave drydock earlier than would have been the case if an extensive repaint had been required.

Arch Chemicals, Inc. announced the opening of its new Asia Pacific Marine Laboratory in Osaka, Japan. The facility, which is close to key Japanese marine paint customers, has been established to maximize technical expertise in the ongoing development of antifouling paint technology and will include work with self-polishing polymers and net coatings for aquaculture applications. Concurrently, the Arch Osaka sales office will relocate to the same facility as the new Marine Laboratory. www.archbiocides.com

Legislation has been favorably reported out of the Senate Committee in Commerce, Science, and Transportation that would, if enacted, constitute the first official steps by the federal government to come to grips with biofouling of the hulls of ships. The Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 (S. 1578) would, among other things, require the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct a study of vessel-borne vectors (other than ballast water and sediment), specifically including vessel hulls, anchors, and equipment.

E Paint announced that the U.S. Navy has authorized E Paint SN-1 antifouling paint for use on small boats and craft. Use of E Paint's SN-1 Bottom Coating in Ocean Gray color was specified to meet the Navy's goal to improve overall ship visual camouflage. E Paint SN-1 is the only antifouling coating approved by the Navy for use on small boats as an alternative to silicone fouling release coatings. E Paint products are copper-free replacements for TBT-based antifoulants. E Paint SN-1 is formulated with the booster biocide SEA-NINE® 211 (Rohm and Haas Company), a material that received the first Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the category for Designing Safer Chemical Products. E Paint SN-1 is EPA approved for commercial use only as an antifouling paint for boat bottoms.