Coatings News

Technology group Wärtsilä introduces EvoTube, a revolutionary and patented advancement in Shaft Line technology for marine propulsion systems, reducing risk and simplifying operations. While based on a conventional stern tube, the EvoTube is a significantly simplified system with fewer components than a conventional stern tube system.  The inboard seal is mounted directly on the aft bearing housing, and the forward bearing is replaced with a standalone bearing inside the eng...

A seamless application of shipping’s first antifouling coating to successfully integrate highly durable graphene provides further evidence that Gibdock’s remains ahead of the curve as a ship repair and conversion yard geared up for a sustainable maritime future. The Gibraltar yard recently hosted the Vulica Shipping Company-owned bulk carrier - Donald M James for a 30-day project, which brought a first opportunity to work with a new type of coating from GIT Coatings (Graphite Innova...

According to the new “Value of Reliability” survey from ABB, over two-thirds of industrial businesses experience unplanned outages at least once a month, costing the typical business close to $125,000 per hour. Despite this, 21 percent of businesses surveyed still rely on run-to-fail maintenance. Managing maintenance The survey, conducted by Sapio Research in July 2023, gathered responses from 3,215 plant maintenance decision-makers globally across the energy generation, plas...

Ship operators can reduce their fuel use and emissions output by using Silverstream Technologies' air lubrication system (ALS) with AkzoNobel’s fouling control coatings, a new white paper has revealed. Marine industry experts from both businesses have collaborated to show that a combination of air lubrication and the right fouling control coatings can reduce hull resistance and increase efficiency to give vessel owners a “clear competitive edge”. Ship’s frictional resis...

In July 2023, at MEPC 80, the IMO adopted the '2023 Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships'. This strategy targets the adoption of near-zero GHG fuels by 2030. A pivotal factor in this transition is choosing the right coating for fuel tanks — it ensures longevity and maintains the tank's optimal condition. Shipping companies invest a significant amount of consideration into the choice of coating systems for their vessel's fuel tank interiors. A failure in this coating can h...

Faced with tough competition for greener fuels from other sectors, new 2030 maritime emission targets hang in the balance. According to the latest edition of DNV‘s Maritime Forecast to 2050, the shipping industry will find it challenging to secure enough supply of carbon-neutral fuels. The report emphasises the need to consider all alternative approaches to reducing emissions and to take action now to secure future success. Carbon emission reductions Maritime sector needs to access a st...

Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters (HEMEXPO), a major suppliers and exporters association for the international shipping sector, has reached an agreement with the world’s renowned classification society, DNV, for the assessment of energy-saving devices (ESDs) produced by HEMEXPO member companies. Stepwise ESD assessment Under the terms of the agreement, in the first instance, DNV will review a makers list provided by HEMEXPO to identify ESDs that fall in the category o...

Shipowners face an ultimatum in 2023, upgrade their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) technology to comply with new laws or scrap their vessels. CII data from 2022 must have been calculated and reported to the Data Collection System (DCS) verifier and sent by March 21, 2024, and 30% of ships simply don’t have the technology onboard to do it.  New carbon targets The move comes as the International Marine Organization (IMO) in July announced new carbon targets, which include a 20% red...

When a 9,280hp workboat returned to service following extensive repairs at the James Marine Paducah River Service yard in Kentucky, U.S.A., it marked the first application of Thordon’s new seal-embedded bearing to an articulating rudder. Articulating rudders Articulating rudders are unlike conventional rudders and can be more costly to repair, when things go wrong. They are more susceptible to wear and tear, due to the higher operating pressures and abrasives, and as a result, require a...

Savvy shipowners are treating their vessels like super athletes-making marginal gains that increase commercial performance to the tune of £38 million over a five-year docking cycle. The shipping industry has seen huge technological changes in the past 10 years to help cut costs, including shark-skin coatings, air lubrication and self-cleaning vessels. But now shipowners, like Olympic athletes, are fine-tuning in a bid to shave off 0.25 percent to help improve performance, say industry exp...

AkzoNobel is supporting the marine industry to mitigate emissions and help shipowners navigate upcoming additional costs, or risk facing an additional six-figure levy annually once new EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation comes into force from 2024. The EU ETS carbon levy will affect all CO2 emissions on shipping journeys to and from an EU port, including when the vessel is docked. Emissions on voyages in and out of the EU will be ‘taxed’ at 50% unless the journey is less t...

DNV is set to launch a Recommended Practice (RP) offering a new, accurate and transparent method for measuring, evaluating, and verifying the technical performance of ships in service. This RP is a direct response to the growing regulatory and commercial pressures within the shipping industry to decarbonise operations and establish a standardised, verifiable procedure for evaluating vessel efficiency. Introduction of CII In the wake of the introduction of the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII)...

Danfoss Marine is the new pioneering technology provider of marine applications & solutions for efficient electrification. As of May 2023, the Danfoss Marine global sales is a one-stop shop for marine solutions both from Danfoss Editron and Danfoss Drives. In recent years, Danfoss has developed significant solutions within marine electrification of vessels with milestone achievements such as the e-ferries Ellen and Grotte, as well as hybrid vessels such as the Wasaline RoPax ferry. The tech...

Nor-Shipping has confirmed that much of the exhibition space for its 2023 show has already been booked, with Halls C and D approaching sell-out status and bookings “far ahead” of expectations. Nor-Shipping 2023, taking place 6-9 June, looks set to build on the momentum of 2022’s event, which welcomed the maritime and ocean industries back to Oslo and Lillestrøm for the first global industry gathering in over two years. Next year’s programme will focus on the theme...

Nor-Shipping is launching a fresh initiative to strengthen and support the pipeline of new talent entering the world of maritime and ocean business.   Christened Ocean Campus, the dedicated ‘island’ of exhibition booths will showcase the world’s pioneering maritime universities and colleges, highlighting opportunities for potential students, while working to bridge the gap between employers and the talent of tomorrow. The World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden, the IM...

Internacional Marítima is a Brazilian company leader in marine and port support services, with over 35 years in the market and for over five years using WEG paints in its fleet. The vessel - BLG 2, originally destined to launch jack-ups of up to 8000 tonnes and reclassified to support work in ocean navigation, will be receiving a new paint job for restoration and protection in a 9,000 m² area of side, bottom and deck. WEG supplies paint for the vessel - BLG 2 WEG is supplying more...

Peel Ports is working with a consortium led by the University of Liverpool to bid for the UK’s flagship national Clean Maritime Research Hub. As part of a wider partnership with the University of Liverpool’s School of Management, Peel Ports has committed to participating in workshops, sharing operational port data and insights and allocating staff time to the project. UK SHORE programme The designation is part of the government’s UK SHORE programme, which aims to decarbonise...

Danfoss Power Solutions’ Editron division has been commissioned by Cheoy Lee Shipyard to deliver the hybrid-electric marine drivetrain system powering two new hybrid-electric ferries. Located at the end of the Pearl River estuary, Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest harbour cities. Ferries are an essential transportation mode for the city, carrying 18 million passengers annually. To achieve net zero by 2050, Hong Kong plans to decarbonise its transport sector by electrifying veh...

Babcock has been awarded a 12-month contract extension to continue its support of Skysiren, the UK’s implementation of the US defence Integrated Broadcast Service. Skysiren is part of a UK Five Eyes programme, which provides the UK Armed Forces with near real-time intelligence sources in a single broadcast data stream. Babcock has been installing Skysiren and providing support since 2017. This 12-month extension follows an extremely productive 2022 for the team, involving installat...

Every year, 241 million containers are transported across the seas with over 7 trillion dollars’ worth of food, clothes, electronics and other goods that the world needs. While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargoes can also harbour and transfer contaminating pests. All parties in the supply chain have a shared responsibility for stopping the spread of pests, by keeping cargo and containers clean, when in their custody. Joint Indu...

A consortium led by zero-emission vessel provider - ACUA Ocean in partnership with zero-emission infrastructure provider and National Maritime UK Marine Hydrogen Working Group partner - Unitrove has won a multi-million pound UK government grant in a major push to decarbonise the maritime sector. The ‘Hydrogen Innovation – Future Infrastructure & Vessel Evaluation and Demonstration (HI-FIVED)’ consortium will receive over £3.8 million of funding to build and showcase...

As companies prepare for the coming boating season, there is no doubt thinking about all of the maintenance projects waiting for them. There’s cleaning, painting, varnishing brightwork, and maybe some updates to electronics in the months ahead. Future-proof with Propspeed The bottom paint probably needs touching up and the anodes need checking, as well as inspecting for any signs of corrosion on the prop, shaft, thrusters, and trim tabs. There will also be the usual time-consuming and ex...

Propspeed, an innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced its attendance at WorkBoat together with CMP. The combination of Propspeed’s expertise in foul-release coatings and CMP’s experience in corrosion control results in the best underwater protection for marine craft. Together they offer the commercial marine industry convenient and reliable access to an unrivaled product range. Customers can trust that these products meet their propulsion performance and corrosion p...

Sleek, sustainable, and striking, the recent development by Haslob Kruse + Partners fuses past and present with an expansive wooden exterior made with the sustainable pioneer, Kebony wood, which was selected to house over 60,000 precious maritime artefacts at Germany’s National Maritime Museum in Bremerhaven. Clad entirely in sustainably sourced Kebony Character wood and containing 2,300 square metres of depot space, the German Maritime Museum houses an extensive collection...

Propspeed, an innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, announced it has hired Chris Myers as Vice President of Sales Americas. In his new position, Myers is tasked with directing Propspeed’s sales efforts across the Americas, as well as growing and supporting Propspeed’s network of partner boat yards, marinas, applicators, and distributors. Customer service  “I am so excited to be joining the Propspeed team,” said Myers. “This team is driven by a pas...

The electrification of HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) is entering its final round. In the future, the tractor units deployed on the journeys between block storage and the container rail terminal or the empty depot will be driven by battery power. In order to further reduce CO₂ emissions at CTA, seven new battery-powered tractor units have been ordered and will replace the previously used equipment that runs on diesel. This terminal process will therefore emit no CO₂, nitrogen oxide o...

The 51st annual Newport International Boat Show (NIBS) held from September 15th – 18th welcomed thousands of visitors, with the greatest increase in visitor numbers in over a decade. Amidst a busy boat show season, Propspeed attended the 51st annual Newport International Boat Show (NIBS), held on the downtown waterfront of Newport, Rhode Island, from September 15th – 18th. Newport International Boat Show NIBS spans over 13 acres of historic downtown Newport and is one of...

Propspeed, the globally renowned innovator of underwater foul-release coatings, has announced that Propspeed has been proven to make vessels more fuel efficient, improve performance and offset fuel costs. Several Propspeed customers have monitored their performance data, before applying Propspeed and after, and have shared that information back to the company. Demand for fuel-efficient vessels “Seeing how shockingly high fuel costs these days are, boaters are looking for any way to make...

The New Zealand coastguard Mana's recently put their new rescue vessel in use. A repurposed Rayglass Protector, previously used as a supporter boat during America's Cup, is now a part of the rescue fleet in Cook Strait, NZ. With the coastguards' big focus on sustainability and safety, OXE Diesel was an obvious choice when it came to powering their new vessel. With twin OXE300's on the transom, there was no need to compromise on low emissions, range or safety. "This new vessel we’re receiv...

As owners of powered vessels look to maximise fuel efficiency, in light of the rising cost of fuel, New Zealand based foul-release coatings company - Propspeed reports that use of its Propspeed coatings could improve hourly fuel usage and increase boat speed. Matt Forbes, the Sales Director – EMEA at Propspeed, explains “Research has shown that propellers with as little as 16.6 micrometres of roughness can result in a 5% efficiency loss. Although fouling might not look significant -...