Euronav chooses Hempaguard after impressive test results

After a 45-month patch test of hull coating Hempaguard, Euronav was so convinced by its ability to reduce fuel consumption that it decided to apply it to four more vessels.

Euronav is one of the global leaders in the shipping of crude oil and the company is constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency of its operations. In 2011, Euronav agreed to test Hempaguard, Hempel’s most advanced fouling defence coating to date. Today, Hempaguard has been applied to more than 500 vessels and has a reputation for delivering significant fuel savings but back in 2011 it was still in development.

When fouling organisms, such as barnacles and biological slime, attach to a vessel’s hull, the extra drag they create means more fuel is needed to move the ship, which increases both fuel consumption and associated CO₂ emissions. Most hull coatings use either the controlled release of biocides or the friction-reducing properties of silicone to combat fouling. In both cases, the coating is carefully specified for each vessel and the vessel must maintain its expected trading routes, speeds and activity levels over the entire docking interval in order to ensure the promised fuel savings. However, for most fleet operators this is not ideal, as it limits fleet flexibility.

Hempaguard combines the two mechanisms, silicone-hydrogel and advanced biocide control, in a single coating. This unique formulation delivers average fuel savings of six percent across the entire docking interval – significantly higher than conventional self-polishing antifouling hull coatings – even if the vessel changes trading routes and speeds or is idle for extended periods. As a result, vessels with a Hempaguard hull coating can switch trading patterns during the docking interval without losing antifouling performance, which gives vessel owners much greater flexibility in how they utilise their fleet.

Proven in tests at sea

Euronav applied Hempaguard to a 300m² test patch on the Famenne in 2011. A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), the Famenne mainly trades in fouling aggressive warm waters in Asia and the Middle East but over the 45-month test period it traversed most of the globe and experienced relatively many idle days.

Theodore Mavraidis, Fleet Technical Manager at Euronav Ship Management (Hellas) Ltd, commented: "A diving inspection after 23 months in service and after 45 months in service confirmed and documented by video mapping that Hempaguard is still showing a smooth and fouling-free performance.”

Following the positive results of the test and the fuel savings that Hempaguard can deliver, Euronav decided to switch a number of vessels to Hempaguard in 2015, including the Suezmax Devon and the VLCCs Hakone and Hirado.