Advanced Polymer Coatings is gearing up production after signing a new deal with Shandong Shipping to supply tank coating for a fleet of 50,000-dwt medium range tanker newbuildings, reports Riviera.
About the deal
US-headquartered Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) makes the MarineLINE protective cargo tank coating, and the new deal follows the successful completion of an earlier contract with Shandong for APC to apply MarineLINE to eight new 50,000-dwt MR product/chemical tankers to be chartered to Shell for its Shell Project Solar programme.
That deal saw APC supply MarineLINE to the New Times Shipbuilding Co Ltd at Xingang Port in Jingjiang City and was completed November 2021.
APC president David Keehan said the new agreement will commence in July 2022, again supplying the New Times shipyard. The latest vessels will also be chartered by Shell as part of Shell Project Solar.
Official statement
“To win repeat business from Shandong and Shell on this high-profile project is testament to the hard work and effort of all involved,” he said.
“Each ship has 20 cargo tanks, including two slop tanks, which require MarineLINE coating, along with application inspection, and full heat curing services. This will be an extensive job for our team working with the specialists at New Times Shipbuilding with whom we have developed a close working relationship.”
Mr Keehan said MarineLINE won a competitive tender to secure the work with Shandong due to having a range of benefits. “The low absorption characteristics and highly gloss surface of MarineLINE allows operators to reduce overall tank cleaning times, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with hot water production,” he said.
He added,
“This, combined with the cargo versatility and flexibility MarineLINE offers over its competitors, is giving us a real edge. What we mean by versatility is ease of cleaning between different cargoes, meaning operators can switch grades more frequently and easily, with significantly less risk of cross contamination. These are key advantages in the chemical tanker market, where vessels can be expected to transport a wide variety of chemicals. Furthermore, less tank cleaning directly equates to less tank cleaning slops, and enhanced crew safety based on maintaining rest hours and reducing the need for multiple confined space entries into the cargo tank.”
APC now actively supports washing water analysis (WWA) which allows vessels to continuously optimise their tank cleaning procedures. WWA is also being used by a growing number of commercial interests to replace the wall wash inspection, and this is helping to reduce over-cleaning in linings with the lowest absorption characteristics.
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Source: Riviera
