Nippon Paint coatings show verified gains

The vessels use several Nippon Paint Marine hull coating systems, including biocide-free AQUATERRAS, FASTAR and A-LF Sea. The company says data recorded through the platform demonstrates measurable reductions in propulsion power across different vessel types and operating profiles.

Kazuaki Masuda, Corporate Office, Technical Division at Nippon Paint Marine, said the industry is moving towards lower-emission operations and that customer data is increasingly important in demonstrating technology performance.

“Working with our partners to gather data provides evidence for the efficacy of our coatings and means we can help shipowners deliver more sustainable operations,” Masuda said.

An 81,000 DWT bulk carrier coated with FASTAR XI recorded a 2.5% reduction in required propulsion power across its operating profile. The company says the improvement contributed to the vessel’s GHG rating rising from C to B+.

A 324,000 DWT ore carrier coated with FASTAR XI recorded a 5.94% reduction in required propulsion power and maintained an A+ GHG rating, according to the platform data.

Nippon Paint Marine says the results demonstrate the potential for hull coatings to support fuel efficiency and emissions reduction while providing shipowners and operators with more predictable performance data.

Wah Kwong Maritime, which has used Nippon Paint Marine products for two decades, now has five vessels using its coatings registered on RightShip.

“Our decision to specify Nippon Paint Marine across our fleet has delivered clear operational and environmental benefits,” Wah Kwong Maritime said.

“The advanced FASTAR performance maintained hull efficiency longer, which directly reduced fuel consumption and helped us improve our RightShip GHG rating.”

Through its partnership with RightShip’s Zero Harm Innovations Program, Nippon Paint Marine is also promoting greater transparency around vessel efficiency and decarbonisation.

The company says its low-friction and sustainable hull coatings have contributed to more than 45 million tonnes of CO2 emissions savings since their introduction.