EMEA News
Marine Coatings "Low-Hanging Fruit" for Fuel Efficiency
Norwegian chemical shipping company Eitzen Chemical A/S (Eitzen) is coating two of its vessels' hulls with anti-fouling products in an effort to improve energy efficiency, according to the coating's producer, Norway-based Jotun.
The first vessel, Siteam Discoverer, had the coating SeaQuantum X200 applied at the COSCO Dalian Shipyard in China in May, and the second vessel will have the product applied in October.
"Through several years of measuring our vessel's performance, we recognize that the correct choice of antifouling is one of the low hanging fruits when it comes to increasing our vessel's energy efficiency", said Rasmus Kjaer, general manager technical for Siteam Discoverer at Eitzen Chemical.
"Eitzen Chemical is aware of its environmental responsibility and we strive to comply with and maintain high standards in order to reduce the environmental impact from our operations."
SeaQuantum X200 promises a 15 percent improvement in propulsion efficiency for a ship that maintains its speed over 60 months, providing both initial smoothness and long-term performance, Jotun says.
Since 2011, the company has sold the product as part of its Hull Performance Solution (HPS), which also includes a method for measuring the impact on fuel efficiency and a no-cure-no-pay promise.
"With HPS we can confidently state that Jotun has the market's best value proposition to companies operating deep sea vessels," said Geir Boe, vice president of Jotun Marine Coatings.
"The effect of any vessel's hull performance will directly impact our customer's profitability and emission of greenhouse gases.
"We are committed to deliver excellence across the value chain to our customers enabling them to operate more effectively and thereby become more competitive."
With fuel efficiency a matter of increasing concern for shipowners, Frost & Sullivan predicted last year that the marine coatings would go from a $5 billion industry in 2011 to $10.2 billion in 2018.
