Norway-based marine antifouling coatings provider Jotun has said that the European Union’s (EU) decision to approve the use of copper in marine antifouling would benefit both the shipping industry and environment.
Using copper as antifouling will be expected to lower the settling, growth and spread of several polluted species on vessel hulls.
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It will also reduce frictional resistance, as well as speed loss, fuel consumption, emissions, and the spread of potentially insidious marine species.
However, the EU stated that additional steps are required to approve the use of copper in individual coatings.
Jotun marine coatings vice-president Alfie Ong said: “Copper’s efficacy is second to none when it comes to delivering clean hulls. And clean hulls are integral to enhancing the sustainability of the shipping industry, both commercially and environmentally.
“Measuring hull performance in line with the soon-to-be-published ISO 19030, we see that copper, a key ingredient of Jotun’s SeaQuantum X200, performs well above competing alternatives. This means it provides not only the best ROI for ship owners, but also the best results for the environment.
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By GlobalData“That’s why it’s excellent news for our customers that the EU, after an extensive review, has approved the use of copper in antifoulings through to 2026.”
The company has already provided its SeaQuantum X200 antifouling to more than 400 vessels worldwide.
Jotun has also developed a hull performance solutions (HPS) concept, which comprises of coating and better technical service and performance analysis on par with the upcoming ISO 19030.
The company said that ships using HPS can save $1.5m worth of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by around 12,055t during their first five-year dry-docking period.
Currently, Jotun has 37 production facilities, 64 companies and is represented in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Image: Using copper as antifouling will help check the settling, growth and spread of several polluted species on the vessel hulls. Photo: courtesy of Jotun.
