EPS bets on propeller coating to improve CII rating
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has inked a deal with Canadian coatings company Graphite Innovations & Technology (GIT) to apply graphene-based propeller coating on 15 of its vessels.
PHOTO: Graphene-based coating on LPG carrier Quebec. EPS
Under the deal, the vessels’ propellers will be coated with GIT’s graphene-based propeller coating solution that claims to improve "propulsion efficiency while keeping propeller surface smooth and free from biofouling.”
The company trialled GIT’s propeller coatings on its LPG tanker, Quebec, last year. The vessel has exhibited improved performance and maintained its CII rating since the application of the coat.
Notably, Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) is a measure of how efficiently a ship transports goods or passengers. It is expressed in grams of CO2 emitted per mt of cargo and nautical mile. The ship is then rated every year from A to E (A being the highest). The rating criteria will become stricter by 2030.
The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) CII regulation is applicable for all cargo, RoPax and cruise vessels above 5,000 gross tonnes in January this year.
The coating “is an extremely effective way to improve and maintain CII rating,” EPS claims.
The coating will be applied between 2023 and 2024 during vessel drydocking.
This mirrors a growing trend where shipowners don't necessarily need to switch their vessels to alternative fuels to get a good CII rating but rather use energy-saving measures to comply with the new regulation.
Operational measures including ship maintenance, waste-heat recovery and retrofits to improve energy efficiency can improve a vessel’s CII rating, according to UK-based University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS).
Case in point, South Korean shipping company Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) cut its fleet's CO2 intensity by 24% between 2019-2021 through energy-saving measures.
By Tuhin Roy
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