Owners embrace tank top protection

German coatings specialist Steelpaint says it is seeing growing demand for its heavy-duty Stelpant PU-Zinc system, with an increasing number of operators progressing from small-scale trials to fleet-wide applications as confidence in the technology grows.

For many years, owners avoided coating tank tops because constant impact from cargoes such as iron ore, coal and aggregates, together with damage caused by grabs and bulldozers, was thought to make coatings uneconomical. Concerns over cargo contamination following coating damage also discouraged adoption.

“We’ve reached a point where owners are starting to question assumptions that have existed for years,” said Frank Müller, director of Steelpaint. “Shipowners are naturally cautious. They don’t want to be the first to try something new, but they certainly don’t want to be the last.”

The zinc-rich coating system can be applied during normal maintenance periods with standard steel preparation, allowing operators to monitor its performance through repeated loading, unloading and cargo hold washing cycles before committing to larger installations.

Steelpaint now carries out around ten trial applications annually, with many customers expanding from test patches to complete cargo holds and eventually multiple vessels.

“The average bulk carrier is now around 15 or 16 years old and cargo hold steel condition continues to deteriorate year by year,” said Li Yinlong, general manager of Steelpaint China. “Owners are looking at ways to extend vessel life, reduce future docking costs and minimise the risk of replacing steel.”

The company estimates heavy-duty cargo hold projects are driving annual growth of 10-15%, reflecting a wider shift towards preventative maintenance.

Steelpaint calculates that planned coating maintenance and periodic touch-up repairs could save operators up to US$4.5 million over a large bulk carrier’s lifetime by avoiding steel renewal and reducing off-hire time.

“As fleets continue to age, we believe more operators will view tank top protection not simply as another coating, but as part of a long-term asset management strategy,” Müller said.