Environmental Concerns Drive Innovation in Ship Coatings Market for Sustainable Shipping

The global ship coatings market is being driven by a number of important trends, most of which are related to environmental concerns. According to Bertelsen, the ship coatings industry will continue to develop towards a decarbonized future.

"At Hempel, we view ourselves as a trusted partner in our customers' sustainable development journey. The International Maritime Organization's existing Ship Energy Efficiency Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Index (CII) will both come into effect in early 2023, scoring the efficiency of ships," Bertelsen said.

"To achieve these goals, most ship owners have had to focus on all aspects of ship operations to reduce emissions and improve performance, and the choice of hull coatings can have a significant impact. In fact, according to a Lloyd's Register survey starting in 2023, coatings are the top energy efficiency technology being deployed by ship owners to meet these new regulatory requirements."

Bertelsen added, "High-end coatings, such as Hempel's Hempguard series, provide a very good business case by increasing hull efficiency, reducing resistance, and thus reducing fuel consumption and emissions while providing investment returns over reduced operating costs, total ownership costs, and vessel lifespan. Hempguard, launched in 2013, has been applied to thousands of ships and is a proven technology that helped our customers save 5.6 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2022."

According to Psomas, the ship coatings market is being driven by dual demands: the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize impact on the marine environment. "For ship owners who need to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, speed loss, and greenhouse gas emissions, PPG recently released the PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating, which is a real breakthrough in ship efficiency and performance."

"As the latest member of the PPG Sigmaglide series, the PPG Sigmaglide 2390 silicone fouling release coating has been widely used by many ship owners and operators globally for over 30 years and is a durable and long-lasting non-biocidal product that has been proven to improve performance and reduce carbon impact," Psomas added. "It has unparalleled antifouling performance and does not release biocides into the ocean."

Psomas concluded, "PPG Sigmaglide 2390 is designed for electrostatic application, which is a highly sustainable application method that has high transfer efficiency and reduces paint consumption due to less overspray."

Recently, environmental regulations have been enacted that affect the ship coatings market. Birkert of AkzoNobel pointed out that all legislative changes have increased the pressure on coatings suppliers to ensure that their products comply with future legislative requirements. "Regulations are expected to continue to evolve, so AkzoNobel has invested significant specialized resources to monitor changes in regulatory requirements and sustainability issues. We also work with different organizations and industry associations to help navigate the constantly changing regulatory landscape."

Birkert added, "We have many metrics to ensure that we are moving towards our sustainability goals, such as reducing VOC products, faster curing systems, less waste, less impact, and biocide-free products. This is particularly important for the marine sector. Overall, the maritime sector emits about 2.3% of global CO2 emissions, or 9 billion tons, but achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 still faces challenges."

Birkert pointed out that to comply with the emission reduction targets set by COP26, the International Maritime Organization has implemented strict decarbonization rules for the shipping industry, and shipyards and shipowners must comply with these rules. "For newbuilds, this is defined within the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which requires new ships to reduce CO2 emissions compared to previous ship designs."