Keeping operational costs under control amid volatile market conditions is crucial for all tanker operators
By Rameez Ud Din, Group Product Manager, Marine, Group Segment Management, Hempel A/S
Refinements can always be made to vessels as owners feel the pinch and maintenance upgrades that deliver immediate operational efficiencies will reduce vessel running costs. However, hull coatings often get overlooked, but are an upgrade that will pay serious dividends.
Fouling to a hull causes fundamental issues. Increased frictional resistance becomes inevitable, which results in fuel expenditure creeping up. Over five years, in the worst-case scenarios, engines may be forced to utilise a hefty 20 per cent more power.
It’s not just about fuel consumption costs, though. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is clamping down on excessive carbon emissions as the world becomes ever more aware of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, tanker operators have to realise that not all coating solutions are on the same level. Only advanced solutions will provide the requisite protection and yield tangible returns through improved fuel economy. Hempaguard MaX, delivered by worldwide coatings manufacturer Hempel, is one such solution and is the game changer.
Fresh options for tanker owners
Hempaguard MaX can comprehensively reduce average hull roughness (AHR). The smoother finish, in turn, reduces drag and fuel consumption. The key to Hempaguard MaX is the way its three different layers work seamlessly together. Hempaprime Immerse 900, tie-coat Nexus II, and Hempaguard X8 all interact in perfect harmony.
Hempaguard X8, is the pivotal ingredient. This innovative topcoat ensures Hempaguard MaX’s antifouling performance in unrivalled. Hempaprime Immerse 900 and Nexus II, meanwhile, provide the basis for Hempaguard MaX’s low AHR. Hempaprime Immerse 900 is an anticorrosive primer that can be applied in just one coat and Nexus II is a next generation tie-coat technology with improved anticorrosive capabilities.
Years of success
Hempaguard X8 is built on the same technology as Hempel’s flagship hull coating, Hempaguard X7, that was first introduced to the market in 2013, and used Hempel’s patented innovative Actiguard technology. Actiguard combines the low surface friction of silicone with efficient defence mechanisms to halt the growth of fouling after just one coat.
Since then, Hempaguard X7 has been applied to over 1700 vessels around the world and owners have been able to collectively shrink their annual bunker bill by more than an impressive USD 500 million.
When it comes to minimising environmental footprint, an estimated 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions were prevented from entering the atmosphere as a result of shipowners using Hempaguard X7.
Hempel is so committed by the quality of its solution that it guarantees a maximum speed loss* of just 1.2 per cent over five years (according to ISO 19030) for shipowners using Hempaguard MaX.
Hempaguard MaX at a glance:
*Speed loss: If a vessel’s main engine is set at a certain power output, it will propel the ship through the water at a certain speed. Over time, fouling accumulation will increase drag and cause the speed of the ship to reduce even if the main engine power output remains constant. This reduction in speed is termed “speed loss”.
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