Nippon Paint Marine has submitted its low-friction hull coating products AQUATERRAS, FASTAR and A-LF-Sea for review by RightShip, which assessed their potential to support vessel emissions reduction.
The agreement between Nippon Paint Marine and RightShip will include the sharing and validation of data covering coating and operational performance areas, such as hull roughness and emissions reduction. As the shipping industry strives for net-zero around 2050, collaboration across the sector will be important for enabling the adoption of effective innovation.
Included in the agreement are three of Nippon Paint Marine’s leading hull coatings, which each provide fuel savings of more than 14% compared with market average conventional hull coatings and help to cut emissions. AQUATERRAS features patented polymer technology and hydrophilic and hydrophobic micro-domain structures to deliver biocide free fouling protection. FASTAR and A-LF-Sea both feature Nippon Paint Marine’s patented HydroSmoothXT™ technology, a hydrogel which traps water against the hull surface to reduce friction, energy use and emissions.
Gladys Goh, President of Nippon Paint Marine, commented, “Delivering the shipping industry’s objective of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 sustainably will require a collaborative effort across the sector. Innovation doesn’t happen overnight. Our R&D teams have invested many decades to develop and deliver effective solutions for our customers. With the right information available to them through programs that promote data transparency, shipowners can be confident of adopting new technologies that will move them quickly and effectively towards our industry’s goal.
“We are very proud to be working with RightShip to enable transparency in the sector and support shipowners on their journey towards a zero-harm maritime industry.”
