AkzoNobel has secured a two-year deal to continue supplying its award-winning Intersleek 1100SR foul release coating to Qatari shipping and maritime giant Nakilat (Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd).
Established in 2004, Nakilat operates one of the largest fleets of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers in the world and offers a wide array of maritime services such as ship repair, shipbuilding, towage and shipping agency services. The two companies already having a long-standing relationship and the new agreement means that by the end of 2018, more than 640,000 litres of Intersleek 1100SR will have been applied to 108 of Nakilat's LNG vessels across the globe.
"We are very proud to have signed this new deal, which strengthens our well-established relationship with such a valuable customer," said Oscar Wezenbeek, Director of AkzoNobel's Marine, Protective and Yacht Coatings business. "It highlights our commitment to better serving our customers and underlines the fact that that ship owners and operators continue to realize the benefits of investing in sustainable hull coatings including reduction of cost and higher efficiency."
When fouling organisms settle on the underwater hull, they have an adverse impact on a vessel's fuel consumption. For example, a layer of slime can result in increased fuel consumption of between 2% and 10%, weed growth in the region of 10% and 30%, and animal growth (such as tubeworms or barnacles) in excess of 40%.
Intersleek 1100SR can put a stop to that. The marine industry's first biocide-free coating to feature patented fluoropolymer technology, it effectively releases slime – even at low speeds. This means vessels benefit from reduced drag, improved fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.
In total, there have been more than 1,400 applications of Intersleek 1100SR to date. The landmark of 1,000 was achieved in 2017 with the Al Gattara LNG tanker, operated by Nakilat.
Intersleek 1100SR is part of AkzoNobel's industry-leading portfolio marketed through its International brand.