paints

FALLING FOUL

The use of paints on newbuildings has gone through many evolutions in the past few years –not least because the most effective solutions are not necessarily the most eco-friendly ones

The use of different hull coatings has been affected by changes in ship usage, as some solutions do not work effectively during periods when slow steaming is the preferred option.

One recent order has been for Jotun’s Hull Skating Solutions (HSS), which has gained the approval of U-Ming, in a new commercial agreement with Jotun and SWS.

Jotun’s HSS solution is to be used for U-Ming’s 190,000dwt dual fuel bulk carrier newbuilding project at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard (SWS) in China after an agreement was signed last year.

Coming up with coating solutions that fit the bill as far as sustainability is concerned is vital in the current environment. “U-Ming is committed to be the front runner of sustainable marine transport services and our customers’ first choice in dry bulk shipping,” says U-Ming president C K Ong.

“As part of our decarbonisation strategy, we have been involved in many initiatives driving meaningful changes to reduce emissions. The recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirement on Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) is an opportunity to differentiate ourselves by offering our customers highly efficient vessels with significantly reduced operating fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Collaboration with stakeholders is the key to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and the Hull Skating Solutions offered by Jotun certainly supports and enhances our green ambitions.”

Jotun’s HSS combines the Hull Skater, an underwater robotic device with hull inspection and cleaning capabilities, and SeaQuantum Skate, an antifouling coating. The solution will be fitted on one of U-Ming’s four LNG dual- fuel Tier III 190,000dwt bulk carriers to be built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) to support the long-term charter with mining giant Anglo American.

“SWS is proud to be the first shipyard in China to offer Jotun’s HSS to our customers,” says Zhang Qi Peng, vice general manager of SWS. “It is a groundbreaking technology and fits well into our programme for green capesize bulk carriers developed by SWS. This development adds to our green and modern shipbuilding model and aligns with our pursuit of sustainable development and environmental protection.”

“I am very happy with the positive response from U-Ming and SWS to adopt Jotun’s HSS at the newbuilding stage. They are shaping the future of a sustainable shipping industry,” states Morten Sten Johansen, regional marine director, North East Asia for Jotun. “With HSS we can deliver the promise of an ‘always clean hull’” from day one, helping our customers to maximise the benefits of lower fuel costs, full flexibility in operations and effective biofouling management.

“Bulk carriers have sailing patterns that are highly dependent on market forces. Shifts in global commodity markets can change the expected idling time, geographical routes and port calls, exposing the vessel to high risks of biofouling that coatings alone may not be sufficient to address.

“On top of the advanced robotics, Jotun’s HSS also includes proactive condition monitoring – using vessel data, oceanographic assessments and predictive algorithms to adapt the system on the fly”, Johansen says.

U-Ming’s vessels are expected to be delivered throughout 2022/2023.

Low carbon intensity

A new Jotun study based on European Union Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) data has revealed vessels using Jotun Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) reported a 20% lower carbon intensity in operations.

This is compared to non-HPS peers in 2019 and 2020.

Cross-checked statistics also indicate lower carbon emissions than from vessels known to be sailing with some “low-friction” foul-release silicone coatings that claim to offer marketleading performance. Only coatings applied within the three years preceding the emissions report were considered.

The internal study carried out by Jotun investigated major cargo vessel types, including bulk carriers, chemical tankers and oil tankers, with a dataset of almost 9,000 vessels, and the emissions report was verified by accredited parties.

The CII set to be implemented by IMO in 2023 focuses on the yearly reduction in emissions during operations. Vessel owners cannot just rely on the “out-of-dock” effect of hull maintenance, Jotun says.

Maintaining a cleaner hull with minimal fouling means a vessel has less resistance when sailing through water. Consequently, less power and fuel are required for the same speed and this directly reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released. Jotun’s HPS have a proven track record of longterm reliability and will become more important than ever for vessel owners to gain a competitive advantage, the company adds.

Stein Kjolberg, global category director for hull performance at Jotun, says: “Vessels using Jotun’s HPS typically have far-sighted owners and operators that are willing to invest to achieve the most efficient operations. They are not too focused on the immediate cost of dry docking or short-term returns. They know the resulting fuel savings will eventually outweigh the upgrade cost of antifouling and other similar investments many times over.

“The fact that fuel savings translate directly into lower carbon emissions will further add to the return on investment in that stakeholders in the shipping industry will more strongly prefer and reward vessels with lower carbon emissions moving forward.”

Jotun says that while vessels may be technically designed to be energy efficient and meet the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and EEXI requirements, in actual service, however, marine fouling, weather conditions and operational factors come into play.

While there are multiple ways to reduce the carbon intensity of operations, fouling protection is perhaps one of the most important and easiest to take advantage of. It is already part of every maintenance docking. It is also the one with the most crucial aspect, as the increased resistance of a fouled hull can easily negate efficiency gains from energy saving devices and modifications.

The best approach is to use a combination of approaches. In the study based on EU MRV data, container vessels with Jotun HPS reported 49% lower carbon emissions compared to their non-HPS peers, and a 10% advantage over vessels using some “low-friction” foul-release silicone coatings.

Hull performance

Japanese paint manufacturer, Chugoku Marine Paints (CMP) has also been concentrating on developing products that fit in with IMO goals as part of EEXI .

It is CMP´s ambition to provide premium coatings that will contribute to reducing the environmental footprint from shipping. By good hull performance, vessels will be able to reduce their CO2 emissions.

IMO has set a target to reduce the total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. To accelerate the decarbonisation of the marine industry, there has been pressure to do more to improve vessel´s efficiency.

IMO has developed two measures, which will come into effect in January 2023; the EEXI and the CII. The new IMO regulation will apply to all oceangoing ships over 400GT. All ships will be categorised and given an efficiency index number that they will need to achieve. Alongside engine power limitation, alternative fuel choices and the introduction of energy saving devices, hull coatings will also be a

significant player in reducing shipping’s carbon footprint.

More than half of the worldwide existing ships might need to reduce average operational speed to be graded higher than C of the CII. At the same time, operating at slow speeds in warmer leads to a higher risk of biofouling

In 2010, CMP launched the low friction antifouling series, SEAFLO NEO followed by SEAFLO NEO Z and SEAFLO NEO CF series as well as CMP BIOCLEAN series, which are premium products upgraded with ultra-low friction technology.

These coating systems have been applied to more than 5,000 vessels and have proved to be highly efficient during the past 11 years, CMP says. SEAFLO NEO CF PREMIUM, the latest in the line of premium antifouling with ultralow friction technology offered by CMP, now has five years’ use on a MR tanker and three large size containerships.

CMP says the MR tanker operated for 63 months with an average speed of 12 knots and 59% activity. During its five-year operation, the hull was never cleaned while the vessel spent time |both idling and operating in high risk areas for fouling and had a low activity period of less than 27% over four months.

However, during hull inspections, no fouling was observed. Consequently, a reduction of 9,450 tons of CO2 emission was achieved over the five-year period.

CMP has recently announced the release of the ultra-low friction, hydrolysis antifouling “SEAFLO NEO SL M” with the latest silyl methacrylate antifouling technology from January 2022.

In 1995, CMP launched the original silyl acrylate antifouling under the brand SEA GRANDPRIX to replace TBT antifouling coatings without sacrificing antifouling performance. SEA GRANDPRIX quickly became the first product of its kind widely applied for shipbuilding and dry-dockings for maintenance.

The antifouling surface built by TIPSMA technology provides for a minimal average leach layer under all operation conditions including high seawater temperatures and low activity, continuously renewing itself by a controlled self-polishing mechanism allowing for ultra-low friction and antifouling protection over a longer period of time

Turkish drydockings

Nippon Paint Marine has announced that it has seen a significant spike in Turkish drydockings as operators of small to mid-size tonnage redirect vessels from Asia due to capacity issues and a general tightening of covid rules.

According to the Japanese paint manufacturer, one of the global suppliers of marine coatings, ship repair projects at repair facilities in the Tuzla district increased by 15 to 20% over the 12 months to September last year, with many yards close to capacity.

Historically high freight rates resulted in owners deferring scheduled drydockings to allow vessels to keep on trading, but many of these certificates were due to expire, resulting in increased drydocking activity.

Captain Baybora Yildirim, managing director of Nippon Paint Marine Turkey, says the confluence of a number of market dynamics has had a beneficial impact on the region’s maritime cluster.

In particular, he singled out the expiry of drydock extension combined with capacity issues at Asian facilities amid a resurgence in covid cases. Shipowners were also being hit by a tightening of covid restrictions in China and Singapore, where vessels are waiting at anchorage for up to two weeks.

With shipowners looking at keeping their vessels trading for as long as possible, the company was seeing more ships heading directly to Turkey – in some cases on the last day of their drydock extension – rather than lose any trading days.

Yildirim added that market dynamics are also resulting in an increase in orders for higher value coating systems designed to keep drydock time to a minimum. “When times are bad, shipowners will consider cost over performance, but we are seeing the reverse today: it is quality over cost.”

John Drew, director of Nippon Paint Marine Europe, says: “I have never seen a supply and demand imbalance quite like the one we are seeing today. Freight rates have quadrupled; they are so high at the moment that every shipowner wants to be at sea with a cargo earning money, rather than in drydock.

“When you consider the time charter rate for a handy size bulker is about US$30,000, then a drydocking can be a very a costly business. It is for this reason we developed FASTAR.”

Nippon Paint Marines’ new antifouling system minimise the time in drydock required for hull coating work. Depending on the vessel, a FASTAR application can reduce drydock time for a two-coat system by one day, the company says.

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE COMPANY’S TIPSMA ANTIFOULING RANGE IS EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE 7.5% REDUCTION OF CO2 EMISSION OVER A 60-MONTH OPERATIONAL PERIOD (UTILIZING ISO 19030)