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Hempel and DNV GL have signed a cooperation agreement to work together to bring customers clear, comprehensible and verifiable analytics to track and assess hull and propeller performance, for reduced fuel costs and a smaller environmental impact.

In a statement, Torsten Büssow, Head of Fleet Performance Management at DNV GL, said: "We are very pleased to be able to work with Hempel to bring their customers ECO Insight's state-of-the-art hull degradation analytics. This data will not only give their customers transparent and verified data with only a few simple measurement inputs. It will also give Hempel access to advanced analytics for the further optimization of their coatings. We've already seen the benefits our customers have gained from having real fleet performance analytics easily available - especially in the area of hull and propeller performance - and we'd like to welcome Hempel customers to the ECO Insight family."

DNV GL's ECO Insight is a fleet performance management solution. It uses advanced normalization algorithms to increase the accuracy of its analysis and benchmarks a vessel's performance relative to other similar vessels. Additionally, by tapping into additional ship-specific data (beyond what is used to calculate performance), DNV says ECO Insight's analytics can be used to further customize paint specifications up front and to proactively manage performance once the ship enters service.

"The potential for improvements in hull and propeller performance on the energy efficiency of vessels is significant, with estimates of potential savings in the range of ten percent in terms of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions savings. ECO Insight can offer better performance baselines and demonstrate a more explicit relationship between hull and propeller performance and the actual fuel consumed. This allows customers who have invested in Hempel's high- quality coatings the ability to better quantify the value of their investment," DNV GL said.

Christian Ottosen, Group Vice President Marine Marketing, Hempel, remarked: "At Hempel we place great importance in being close to our customers and providing the best individual service. With the data analysed by DNV GL, we will be able to optimize our customers' fuel performance, improving hull performance matching specifications precisely to individual needs and trade, dry dock intervals and technical service in dock. This will benefit our customers and support their businesses being more efficient in their operations. So far, we have been very pleased to cooperate with DNV GL, and we look forward to working even closer with their staff from now on."