Odfjell Tankers continues cargo tank coating replacement programme

2014-built, 49,622-dwt MR2 chemical and product tanker Bow Trajectory will see eight of 22 tanks converted from zinc to MarineLINE in the latest phase of work on the tanker carried out by APC.

That will be followed by a full recoat of 2014-built, 49,622-dwt, 22-tank MR2 chemical and product tanker Bow Trident with MarineLINE.

Odfjell Tanker began its strategy of replacing zinc coating with MarineLINE in its older vessels in 2019 and has developed a strong working relationship with APC.

MarineLINE global customer care manager Stephen Jarvie said the flexibility the coating delivers is increasingly becoming a major factor for tanker owners and operators.

He said, “Although some shipowners use zinc-lined carriers for methanol service, this strategy eliminates versatility in their operation, resulting in lost profits if the ship returns without any backhaul cargo after making its delivery. It does not add up commercially for them any longer.

He added, “Zinc coatings also have high absorption characteristics, which can cause some cargo retention and lead to purity issues in subsequent cargoes, limiting backhauling and service.

APC now has around 12% of the global chemical tanker coating market with some 700 ships worldwide coated with MarineLINE. Exports underpin APC’s growth with key markets, including China, the Gulf, Croatia and Turkey.

To cater to the growing demand for MarineLINE in shipyards in Asia, Europe and America, APC is currently doubling the size of its US factory with a multi-million dollar, eight-figure expansion project.

Construction work is underway and once open, the new factory will extend the company’s R&D facilities and quadruple production capacity with a new automated manufacturing system. The expanded plant is expected to begin operations in Q4 2024. It represents APC’s biggest investment in its 27-year history.

APC has also invested in a new digital platform for shipping line customers, to help seafarers and vessel operators manage chemical cargoes more safely. It has recently gone live. MarineLINE Customer Care platform has been created to enable shipping lines to better understand how to maintain APC’s MarineLINE tank coating and the aggressive cargoes it enables them to carry.

The portal is the result of a year-long collaboration with some of the biggest chemical tanker operators in the world, including APC customer Bahri and can be accessed via the APC website. Designed to tackle the primary pain points of cargo tank maintenance, the portal features details on more than 2,000 chemicals and the vessels worldwide which have been coated with MarineLINE.

Find out how Odfjell Tankers is using API integration with SIRE 2.0 to reduce workloads directly from Odfjell Tankers marine manager Jan Ove Ødegård at the International Chemical & Product Tanker Conference, 23-24 April 2024.