Greek-based shipping company Euronav has announced that after a 45-month patch test of Hempel’s Hempaguard hull coating, it has decided to apply the product to four more of its ships to increase fuel savings and enhance its operational efficiency.
Following a diving inspection after 23 months and 45 months in service, Hempaguard still showed signs of smooth and fouling-free performance. Using video mapping, Euronav was able to see that the hull coating is behaving as it did when first applied the test patch to the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Famenne in 2011.
The ship, which mainly trades in fouling aggressive warm waters in Asia and the Middle East, has benefitted from Hempel’s coating that combines silicone-hydrogel and advanced biocide control in a single coating to result in fuel savings of around 6% across the entire docking interval.
In contrast to conventional hull coatings which require the vessel to maintain its speed, trading routes and activity over the entire docking interval to ensure the promised fuel savings, Hempaguard permits fuel savings even if the vessel changes trading routes, speeds or is ide for extended periods of time.
Following the results, Euronav decided to switch a number of vessels to Hempaguard in 2015, including the Suezmax Devon and the VLCCs Hakone and Hirado.
Ship Efficiency Review News
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