Marflet tankers undergo recoating at Zhoushan shipyard

Spanish shipping line Marflet Marine’s 49,999-dwt product tanker Panagia Thalassini has undergone recoating following the earlier renewal of its sister ship, Santiago 1.

The work took place at the IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China, where a dedicated team of specialist heat-curing engineers and inspectors carried out the recoating operations.

Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) applied its MarineLINE protective tank coating to Panagia Thalassini under the terms of the contract awarded by Marflet Marine.

Both vessels are MRII chemical and oil product tankers built in Croatia: Santiago 1 entered service in 2022, while Panagia Thalassini is five years older.

Operating since 1957, Marflet Marine ranks among the longest-established privately owned shipping companies in Spain.

Marflet Marine chose the coating system for its superior resistance to aggressive chemicals, rapid cleaning turnaround and lower risk of cargo contamination, as well as its suitability for heated free fatty acid cargoes, according to APC.

APC European sales manager Peter Stoyles said: “We have built a good working relationship with Marflet, and it found the case for MarineLINE compelling when it came to this recoating work. Switching easily between cargoes was very important here, together with faster cleaning times, which can free up sailing days, improving the earning ability of the vessel.”

The coating is tested at APC’s R&D facility in Avon, Ohio, to verify its performance against thousands of highly aggressive chemicals.

APC reported an 18% rise in sales last year, has already reached its growth target for 2025 with further orders from tanker operators worldwide and now holds approximately 12% of the global chemical-tanker coating market, with some 700 ships treated.