Akzo Nobel News

Coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel has appointed Michael Stulberg As New Regional Commercial Director For Marine And Protective Coatings Americas.According to the company, Stulberg brings to the role extensive expertise across sales and product management for both US and international markets as a result of 25 years in the oil and gas industry.Most recently Director Of Sales at Weatherford International, he was responsible for business growth, driving top-level profitability, sales…

Coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel announced that Gregoire Poux-Guillaume will become the company’s new chief executive officer (CEO) as of November 1, 2022. He will succeed Thierry Vanlancker, who has been CEO and member of the board of management since 2017, and whose term of office is coming to an end.Poux-Guillaume, a French national, is an international business leader with 25 years of experience. Previous roles include CEO of Sulzer, CEO of GE Grid Solutions (previously Alstom…

Ship design and engineering company C-Job Naval Architects on Thursday announced changes to its executive team. Job Volwater will move from his position as Chief Commercial Officer and take on the position of Chief Executive Officer. He takes over from Basjan Faber, who will take up the position of Chief Financial Officer at the company.Faber and Volwater founded C-Job Naval Architects in 2007. Volwater was previously in the position of CEO until 2017 when he took a leave of absence to take the role of Sailing Team Director for Team AkzoNobel in the Volvo Ocean Race.

AkzoNobel Marine Coatings announced it has named Colin Mercer as its first-ever Global HullCare Manager.Mercer takes on the role following a 23-year history of delivering sustainability goals across multiple AkzoNobel business units. Since 2018, he has been the Marine Business Manager in the MEA - championing the environmental sustainability journey in the Middle East.His key ambition in this new role is to build a seamless management program for owner partners that allows them to effortlessly manage the performance of their vessels…

Paints and coatings company AkzoNobel announced it has opened a new £10 million global research and development center at its Slough site in the U.K.The facility, which joins a growing list of similar facilities opened by AkzoNobel globally to further advance the company’s product development, is home to 120 specialists and will act as a major hub within the company’s worldwide R&D network and help to further advance AkzoNobel’s innovation capabilities.“The inauguration of this…

HullWiper has joined forces with International Paint, a subsidiary of ship hull paint and performance coatings specialist AkzoNobel, and underwater drone ROV specialist Orobotix to provide ship owners and operators with comprehensive hull care support in a new partnership named Intertrac HullCare.The partnership offers high-performance coating schemes from International Paint tailored for different vessel types and operating profiles, which are maintained using sustainable hull…

How stand-out savings in fuel costs and CO2 emissions make Intersleek 1100SR the natural choice for LNG operatorsRedirecting the world toward a lower carbon future is a responsibility shipping shares with all industries.As a climate-friendly substitute for more carbon-intensive fuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) has an important role to play in helping achieve this ambition. But, in protecting their fleet from fouling challenges, how can LNG operators best maximize hull efficiency…

The new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations aim to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur oxides, which are responsible for atmospheric acidification. This means that vessels may only use fuels with sulfur levels of up to 0.5 percent as of 1 January 2020.The current permitted level is 3.5 percent. However, another option is available. Shipping companies may continue to use heavy fuel oil if they install ‘scrubbers’ on their vessels to purify the exhaust gases with a wash treatment of water and soda."As the world’s largest bunker port, Rotterdam is well prepared for the new situation," claims the port authority.Rotterdam does not only offer low sulfur fuel…

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…

British multinational oil and gas company BP, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), and the Port of Rotterdam have joined forces to explore the opportunity of making “green hydrogen” via water electrolysis for BP’s refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which has the potential for significant reductions in CO2 emissions.The refinery currently uses hydrogen made from hydrocarbons, to desulphurize products. Replacing this entirely with green hydrogen produced from water using renewable energy could potentially result in a reduction of 350,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year based on current circumstances.The parties have signed a memorandum of understanding to study the feasibility of a 250-megawatt water electrolysis facility to produce up to 45…

The British-Dutch oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known as Shell, joins as equity partner with Air Liquide, Enerkem, Nouryon and the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe.The proposed project in Rotterdam will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and bio-fuels out of non-recyclable waste materials, said a press release from the Netherlands-based seaport.A consortium of world-leading companies comprising Air Liquide, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam – has announced that Shell will join as a partner in Europe’s first advanced waste-to-chemicals facility in Rotterdam…

The presence of biofouling on the hull of a ship increases the drag from the water during sailing and thereby the fuel consumption, which results in increased CO2 emissions as well as increased costs for the ship owner. Paints applied to the underwater areas on the hull of ships therefore often contain biocides to hinder biofouling growth or possess non-stick properties, allowing a release of the fouling when the vessels pick up speed.AkzoNobel is working with Royal Philips to…

Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam have joined together to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster in the Amsterdam region.According to a press release, the three parties consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy, for example by combining it with emissions from steel manufacture to make new products.As a first step, the parties will study the feasibility of a 100 megawatt water electrolysis facility to produce up to 15,000 tons of hydrogen per year as well as oxygen at Tata Steel’s IJmuiden site, near Amsterdam.

Recently, team AkzoNobel completed its first Volvo Ocean Race, concluding the final leg in second place and finishing fourth overall. The team finished on the podium on six of the eleven legs.During the race, the team was supported by two Damen Workshop Containers. The two containers leapfrogged each other across the 11-legs and 83,000 km of the round-the-world race, ensuring that team AkzoNobel had onshore support every step of the way.The provision of workshop containers was a natural way for Damen to offer support to the team. The shipyards group has extensive experience in logistics and in the provision of services to ensure optimal vessel performance in terms of both safety and efficiency…

Dry bulk ship owner and operator Oldendorff Carriers has become a member of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), a coalition of global shipping industry companies working toward a more environmentally sustainable maritime industry.Oldendorff joins other SSI members, including ABN-Amro, AkzoNobel, Bunge, China Navigation, IMC Shipping, Lloyd’s Register, Louis Dreyfus, Maersk, Priya Blue, Rightship and Wartsila, who are working together with NGOs Forum for the Future and WWF…

A consortium of companies comprising Air Liquide, AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals, Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam Authority has signed a development agreement for the initial investments in an advanced waste-to-chemistry plant in Rotterdam. The aim is that this will be the first plant of this type in Europe to offer a sustainable alternative for waste incineration, by converting plastic and mixed waste into new raw materials for industry. These investments – for detailed engineering, the establishment of a special joint-venture and the conclusion of the licensing procedure – amount to some € 9 million. The consortium is aiming for the project’s final investment decision…

Marine coatings increasingly are center stage, not simply to maintain the integrity of vessels, but as a means to make ship ops more efficient and environmentally benign. Maritime Reporter had questons, and two executives – Andreas Glud of Hempel A/S and Michael Hindmarsh of AkzoNobel and – offered answers. What are the drivers for coatings development in the coming five years? Glud The drive to optimize operational efficiency will continue to drive customer demand in the coming years.

At Nor-Shipping this year, Akzonobel announced the official launch of its ‘Digital Voyage’ strategy. This program builds on the foundations laid two years ago when the firm launched Intertrac Vision, the industry’s first Big Data tool for predicting coating performance. The Digital Voyage outlines the goal of putting a wealth of knowledge in the hands of ship owners and operators, and helping them make smarter, more economical and environmentally friendly decisions. As we embark on this journey…

AkzoNobel said it scooped two honors at the recent ICIS Innovation Awards for the Interline 9001 ultra-performance cargo tank coating supplied through its International brand. As well as being awarded with the overall Innovation Award, Interline 9001 also received the Best Product Innovation Award from ICIS, the trusted information provider for the global chemical and energy industries. The awards recognize the impact the new coating has had on the chemical tanker industry, specifically how it tackles the issue of absorption from aggressive cargoes…

The potential for drones to be used for inspections is not new, notes Bureau Veritas, but to date trials have not focused on specific survey requirements for ship structures in enclosed spaces; the RECOMMS project will do just that. Bureau Veritas has joined RECOMMS (Remote Evaluation of Coatings / Corrosion on Offshore Machinery and Marine Structures / Ships), a joint investment project (JIP), to develop drones with the capability to inspect steel structures in enclosed spaces.

People living in remote and isolated Amazonian communities will now have access to primary healthcare, thanks to the support of a medical ship operated by Vine Trust and restored using coatings from AkzoNobel. Vine Trust’s new vessel, named MV Forth Hope, is expected to deliver more than two million medical consultations over the next 20 years to isolated communities on the Peruvian Amazon. Outfitted with dental facilities, an operating theater, consultation rooms and a pharmacy…

Sailing fans flocked to a harbor in the Dutch city of The Hague yesterday to welcome team AkzoNobel’s new Volvo Ocean Race yacht, which was officially christened by the city’s Mayor. With the start of the race just four months away, skipper Simeon Tienpont and his crew arrived in the Netherlands from Lisbon to a rapturous welcome, when dignitaries and supporters caught their first glimpse of the newly built boat. “It’s a very special moment to have our new boat christened here in The Hague,” said Tienpont. “In many ways, the race starts right here and now for us. Added Mayor of The Hague, Pauline Krikke: “We are very proud to partner with team AkzoNobel in the Volvo Ocean Race. I wish Simeon and his crew the best with their preparations between now and the start in October.

AkzoNobel has completed the $3.5 million expansion of its U.S. research and development facilities in Houston. Carried out in phases over a period of three years, the investment in the site – which employs around 40 scientists – will support the company’s Protective Coatings, Marine Coatings and Specialty Coatings businesses. Part of AkzoNobel’s ongoing investments in its global RD&I activities, the Houston upgrade follows an investment of $ 14.2 million in a research and innovation hub in Felling, U.K., announced earlier this year.