New headquarters opens as graphene coating spreads

A marine coatings developer has opened its global headquarters and flagship operations in Nova Scotia, Canada. The new premises underline the firm’s emphasis on biocide-free technologies and scales up operations.

While the company did not publish financial terms, the launch of the headquarters provides timely context for recent deployment activity reported by shipowners.

In March 2024, Pacific Basin reported it will adopt a graphene-based propeller coating across its fleet following results from an earlier application on a Supramax vessel. The shipowner said it will roll out the coating on 40 vessels scheduled for drydock maintenance, describing the programme as the largest implementation of graphene-based propeller coating in the dry bulk segment.

The company linked the decision to expected performance and ratings outcomes, stating the product “has the potential to boost vessel performance by up to 4%, making it a formidable solution for improving CII and RightShip GHG ratings.”

Pacific Basin general manager of optimisation and decarbonisation Sanjay Relan said, “Since 2007, we have employed silicone paint to coat our vessels’ propellers, aiming to maintain a smooth surface and mitigate the need for frequent polishing to restore performance.”

“However, edge damage to the silicone coating has persisted, necessitating complete stripping and reapplication of the propeller coating during each docking.”

He added the hard coating is being adopted across the fleet with a view to maintaining a smooth surface and improving efficiency over longer periods.

The product is described as a biocide-free hard foul-release system with an adhesive primer and topcoat intended to keep propeller surfaces smooth over the drydocking cycle.

A study cited by Pacific Basin reported potential fuel-consumption reductions of up to 4%.

GIT Coatings director of business development Maiko Arras said the collaboration represented a milestone, noting Pacific Basin’s decision to integrate the coating across a dry bulk fleet.