Marine coatings supplier, Nippon Paint Marine, has applied its biocide-free self-polishing coating (SPC) Aquaterras to Oceania Cruises ‘Riviera’.
This application follows pre-pandemic testing on Norwegian Cruise Line Holding’s (NCLH), owner of Oceania Cruises, vessels.
After almost two years of the vessels being exposed to static, pandemic-enforced operations in a fouling rich marine environment, Aquaterras demonstrated superb resistance to fouling and marine growth, the company claimed.
The coating was applied to the 66,172 gt ‘Riviera’ while she was in drydock at Chantiers Naval de Marseille.
Aquaterras was applied to the vertical sides of the ship. The average hull roughness measured after the application was a significantly low 40 microns.
This extreme smoothness will provide reduced friction between the hull and the water and will help NCLH to maximise fuel savings and reduce emissions, Nippon Paint said.
Its biocide free fouling resistance properties will assist in mitigating possible ecological issues arising from biofouling and species migration.
Nippon Paint has been working closely with NCLH for over a decade to provide antifouling systems for cruise ships operating under the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.
“Due to the impressive performance of Aquaterras in testing, we decided to broaden the scope of supply to ships in the Oceania Cruises’ fleet and are exploring additional applications to the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet,” said Carlo Paiella, NCLH’s Senior Vice President, Technical Operations.
“Nippon Paint Marine’s technical service and worldwide supply capabilities complement the excellent performance and sustainability benefits we have seen from the company’s highly effective marine paint coating technology.
“As leaders in the cruise ship sector, we believe it is vitally important to do all we can to reduce our environmental impact. The use of Aquaterras will contribute to our ongoing de-carbonisation efforts and our commitment to pursue net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” he said.
“We are proud that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has selected Nippon Paint Marine as a prime supplier of underwater coatings for their vessels,” said John Drew, Director of Nippon Paint Marine Europe.
“As a market leader, NCLH understandably requires highly effective solutions to maximise operational efficiencies, reduce fuel consumption and associated costs, while also achieving its environmental aims.
“The company’s forward planning, coupled with the reliability and performance of the Aquaterras’ fouling resistance coating will enable NCLH vessels to benefit commercially, operationally and work towards the company’s ambitious sustainability targets.
“The cruise industry has been an early proponent of Nippon Paint Marine’s ground-breaking technology. NCLH is one amongst a group of proactive and forward-thinking cruise lines that recognise Aquaterras as a hugely significant breakthrough technology in the antifouling market, providing enhanced levels of performance to those systems containing biocides, such as cuprous oxide,” he said.
Nippon Paint Marine is due to coat its 100th cruise ship using various marine application technologies later this year.
