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Euronav has announced it will apply HEMPASIL, Hempel's
silicone fouling release system, to its two ultra-large crude carriers,
the TI Asia and the TI Europe. The 380-metre tankers, which have a deadweight
tonnage of more than 440,000 tonnes, will drydock for maintenance and
survey later this year.
Hempel has worked closely with Euronav, an integrated tanker company
which owns and manages a fleet of 36 crude oil tankers, to achieve this
breakthrough. The HEMPASIL specification is guaranteed for five years
and has a potential lifetime of a further five years.
HEMPASIL is a silicone-based topcoat with outstanding adhesion properties
thanks to NEXUS tiecoat technology, which ensures a chemical bond between
the epoxy anticorrosion layer and the silicone-based topcoat.
"This NEXUS tiecoat is the key to achieving the excellent adhesion
performance, which resists even strong abrasion," says Hempel's
Torben Rasmussen, Product Manager, Group Marine Marketing.
"Minimising maintenance as well as maintaining a smooth hull during
the entire service period is vital for efficient operation of our vessels,
and a silicone fouling release product helps us to achieve this,"
adds Paul Moeyaert, General Manager, Euronav Ship Management. "We
also believe that the smoother topcoat should give us a reduction in fuel
consumption and therefore reduce carbon emissions. This will also help
us reduce the amount of biocides released into the sea, making our operations
even more environmentally friendly."
Hempel's own studies show that the reduced drag from HEMPASIL can
deliver substantial fuel savings compared with premium tin-free antifoulings.
"By blasting back to bare metal and applying a high-quality anticorrosive
coating system, we can extend the lifetime of the HEMPASIL system. When
the initial service time of five years has passed, the fouling release
performance can be brought back to standard and reactivated by applying
a fresh layer of topcoat," concludes Torben Rasmussen.
Source: Hempel
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