Greek-based shipping company Euronav has announced that after a 45-month patch test of Hempel’s Hempaguard hull coating, it has decided to apply the product to four more vessels for increased bunker savings.
In 2011, Euronav agreed to test Hempaguard to a 300m2 test patch on VLCC Famenne which mainly trades in fouling aggressive warm waters in Asia and the Middle East.
When fouling organisms, such as barnacles and biological slime, attach to a vessel’s hull, the extra drag they create means more fuel is needed to move the ship – which increases both fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions. Most hull coatings use either the controlled release of biocides or the friction-reducing properties of silicone to combat fouling. In both cases, the coating is carefully specified for each vessel, and the vessel must maintain its expected trading routes, speeds and activity levels over the entire docking interval in order to ensure the promised fuel savings. However, for most fleet operators this is not ideal, as it limits fleet flexibility.
Hempel claims that its product combines the two mechanisms, silicone-hydrogel and advanced biocide control, in a single coating resulting on average in fuel savings of 6 per cent across the entire docking interval. This outcome is significantly higher than conventional self-polishing antifouling hull coatings – even if the vessel changes trading routes and speeds or is idle for extended periods.
Theodore Mavraidis, Fleet Technical Manager at Euronav Ship Management (Hellas) Ltd., comments:
“A diving inspection after 23 months in service and after 45 months in service confirmed and documented by video mapping that Hempaguard is still showing a smooth and fouling-free performance.”
Source & Image Credit: Hempel