The Power of Marine Coatings: Driving Efficiencies to Enable the Future Fuels Transition

Pressure continues to mount for shipping to decarbonize. During the past 12 months alone, we have seen the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) regulations come into force, the revised IMO strategy to curb GHG emissions at MEPC 80 and the announcement that shipping will also be included in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) from January. All stakeholders in the maritime industry are looking at ways to drive greener operations and reduce their environmental impact. This is to ensure compliance and meet the added reputational demands that they are facing from customers who have increasingly higher expectations about the level of sustainability in their supply chains.

Alternative fuels present an exciting opportunity for shipping to decarbonize and will undoubtedly play a huge role in getting the industry to net zero emissions in the future. However, this is not without its challenges in terms of availability and cost. The latest Maritime Forecast to 2050 report by DNV highlights that future fuels face significant supply-demand challenges and cost barriers. Instead, in the immediate term, organisations are looking for solutions that will enable them to drive operational efficiencies and reduce fuel consumption, costs and emissions in the process. This is where hull coatings can play a crucial role in what is set to be an expensive energy transition.

A costly transition

The Maersk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping states that implementing measures to optimize operations can offer efficiency gains of up to 15%. This will be critical in the energy transition, as a shipping industry operating on purely future fuels will be exponentially more expensive than the current bunkering supply chain. For example, considering that it takes two tonnes of methanol to do the same work as one tonne of HFO (19.7 MJ/kilogram compared with 41.8 MJ /kilogram for HFO), the ‘real’ price to operate a methanol-fuelled vessel is pushed up to $2,000 a tonne; over 300% more than current VLSFO prices, and over 200% more than MGO prices.

In addition, for the industry to run on future fuels, the development of a sophisticated green shipping value chain will be essential – although it is complex and time-consuming to deliver. This will include the creation of new bunkering infrastructure and associated regulatory standards, as well as ensuring collaboration between all industry stakeholders to manage the transition – from owners, operators and charterers to financial institutions, fuel suppliers, storage providers and ship builders.

Being able to drive efficiencies will help reduce both fuel and operational costs today, contributing towards sustainability objectives and regulation compliance, as well as making the transition more financially viable in the medium-to long term when future fuels become more widely used.

Finding the right solution

Assessing and addressing hull fouling is vital to achieving operational and fuel efficiencies that result in cost savings and reduced CO2 emissions. Every vessel must have a hull coating, which provides the industry with a unique and ubiquitous opportunity to reduce drag resistance using the latest coatings technology. For example, Nippon Paint Marine’s AQUATERRAS coating can reduce fuel consumption up to 10%. The biocide-free self-polishing coating has demonstrated significant smoothness which reduces friction between the hull and the water. This smoothness, combined with resistance to fouling, ensures maximum fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and accelerating the path to decarbonisation and wider sustainability.

However, today’s market is saturated with purported clean technology at varying stages of development and credibility. Organizations simply can’t afford to risk capital on adopting unproven or minimally trialled clean solutions, which highlights the importance of working with manufacturers that have rigorous R&D and testing processes and industry heritage. Thorough due diligence and analysis will help to provide peace of mind that any claimed efficiency savings are verifiable and comply with regulations. For instance, Nippon Paint Marine has operated at the forefront of technical innovation for decades, investing in state-of-the art R&D facilities to bring to market new marine coatings that break new ground and support its customers in meeting the shipping industry’s greatest challenges. The company’s hull fouling prevention products such as LF-Sea, A-LF-Sea, AQUATERRAS and FASTAR have been applied to more than 5,000 vessels, helping to drive efficiencies and reduce drag resistance from hull fouling.

Charting the best course in an evolving market

Shipping faces multiple obstacles when it comes to achieving its net zero ambitions. Whilst technologies such as future fuels will exponentially help to reduce emissions in the industry, they are still medium to long-term solutions. Action needs to start now if we are to reach our decarbonization targets.

Finding ways to drive efficiencies that result in more sustainable operations and cost savings will be critical. Solutions that enable this – such as hull coatings – will play a pivotal role in kickstarting shipping’s sustainability journey, driving immediate impact in reducing emissions as well as helping set the stage for a financially viable fuel transition in the future.