Fouling defence system wins efficiency award

The fouling defence system won Shipping Efficiency’s prestigious Environmental Technology award, which is an endorsement of a technology that makes a significant contribution to environmental impact reduction or prevention to ships.

Claes Skat-Rørdam, fouling control manager, Hempel, said that Hempaguard is a completely new technology that combines the best of both worlds: the smooth, fuel-efficient surface from silicone coatings and the durable protection against fouling known from antifoulings.

Mr Skat-Rørdam added: “However, what is most remarkable about Hempaguard is that it releases 95% less biocide than traditional antifoulings and yet, it still has a significantly better performance. Hempaguard enables our customers to improve their efficiency at sea, while reducing the impact on the environment.”

Hempaguard was launched in 2013 and has shown an outstanding resistance to fouling during idle periods, significant fuel savings and is providing shipowners with trading flexibility. The coating was over five years in development and was introduced to the shipping industry against a backdrop of rising bunkering costs, tightening environmental regulations and the introduction of mandatory Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP).

It’s based on Hempel’s patented ActiGuard technology which integrates silicone-hydrogel and full diffusion control of biocides in a single coating.

Judges on the Shipping Efficiency panel included the ABS director of energy efficiency, Jan Otto de Kat and the secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping & International Shipping Federation, Peter Hinchcliffe.