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Project name:

Ship owners or shipping agencies sought as pilot partners to test innovative coating solution

Status: Idea
Creation date: 14-03-2023

Project objectives:

Short summary A startup from the North of Germany develops an anti-fouling coating that eliminates microplastics pollution, reduces fuel consumption and has a higher durability. To proof performance under real conditions, pilot partners from maritime industries are sought.

Full description Conventional antifouling coatings and paints used on ship hulls contain heavy metals and other additives that are toxic to many organisms and are constantly rubbed off by the wind and waves. In addition recent studies indicate that ship coatings are also an underestimated source of microplastic pollution out in the open sea. More than 90.000 cargo ships are crossing our oceans globally. The environmental damages created by fuel consumption and heavy oil are well-known. The hazardous coating of ships remains hidden under the water surface. There is a misconception that there is no alternative to self-eroding coating solutions. A startup from the North of Germany intends to prove the opposite. Bringing to market an environmentally friendly coating solution and partnering with companies that offer intelligent and automated cleaning solutions, the company wants to create a closed cycle including the ship’s protection, automated cleaning and the recycling of biomass after the cleaning process. In a combination of nano-particles and a polymer matrix, the advantages from ceramics and polymers enable to create a uniquely smooth surface that is easy to clean and more durable than conventional products. The solution is completely free of biocides, has a 3x higher durability, needs only half the number of coating layers and reduces fuel consumption. Ship owners and shipping agencies will benefit from reduced fuel costs and reduced downtime of vessels while reducing their negative environmental impact. The innovative solution has been successfully tested in more than 8 years of research and development. To proof performance under real conditions pilot partners from commercial shipping industries are invited to cooperate. Application is possible for all types of vessels, both inland-shipping or seagoing. Pilot projects can be on coating of the whole hull or of a sample area of minimum 25 m². As the startup would like to monitor performance of pilot application projects, the vessels should regularly return to the same harbour, ideally in close distance from the North of Germany. Therefore especially contacts to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium or Poland are sought at first stage, but companies from other areas are very welcome to express interest in the innovative coating solution. Cooperation is envisage in form of commercial agreements with technical assistance, pilot partners are expected to pay for costs of the hull coating but will be offered a very competitive price. Cooperation within a research and development project can also be discussed.

Advantages and innovations The environmentally friendly coating not just eliminates microplastics and toxic pollution but also offers huge saving potentials for owners and shipping companies

Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)

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