Swedish antifouling innovators, I-Tech AB have been presented with the ‘Environmental Award’ at this year’s Tanker Shipping & Trade awards for their pioneering, barnacle-repelling antifouling ingredient Selektope.
Organised by Rivera Maritime Media, these awards recognise excellence, innovation, and environmental performance across the tanker industry.
The awards ceremony was held on November 15, 2016 in London. Mr Philip Chaabane, CEO of I-Tech collected the award from Karen Purnell, Managing Director of Award sponsor International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd.
This award comes in addition to the Environmental Performance Award that they took home from the European Marine Engineering Awards in April this year. The technology was also a highly commended finalist for the Environmental Technology Award at the recent Ship Efficiency Awards 2016.
I-Tech is based in Gothenburg. The Selektope antifouling ingredient works by repelling barnacle settlements on the hull of ships by temporarily stimulating the barnacle larvae’s swimming behaviour. This helps to reduce drag that is driven by biofouling, increase vessel performance and lower fuel consumption. Furthermore, only a small quantity of Selektope is required, therefore it has no impact on the chemical structure, colour or other cooperative biocides of a marine coating.
This antifouling agent has thus far been selected by two paint companies for inclusion in their products following years of extensive testing. It was recently announced that Selektope is to enter into the mainstream market via Chugoku Marine Paints’(CMP) products – SEAFLO NEO CF PREMIUM and the SEAFLO NEO-S PREMIUM.
Selektope is fully approved under the EU’s Biocidal Products Regulation. It has been approved by Japanese, Korean, Chinese and European regulatory bodies. It has also completed successful trials with several different ship owners.
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