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It has taken 12,000 hours of development work, involving 53 expert stakeholders, across more than three years, but ISO 19030 is finally nearing publication, in a move that has the potential to save the shipping industry as much as USD 30 billion in annual fuel costs, according to marine antifouling coatings provider Jotun.

In response, the Norwegian firm has adapted its Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) guarantee to ensure that it is fully ISO/DIS-19030-2 compliant.

The standard, which prescribes practical methods for measuring changes in ship-specific hull and propeller performance, has now been approved by the ISO's Draft International Standard (DIS) ballot, with 93 percent of country representatives voting in its favour. This resounding approval rate paves the way for final publication, with ISO 19030 expected to be publically available at the end of the third quarter of 2016.

Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun's Business Development Director, Hull Performance Solutions, managed the project on behalf of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is clear about its importance.

"Poor hull and propeller performance is estimated to account for around 10 percent of the world fleet's energy costs (USD 30 billion)," he notes. "There are very effective solutions for improving performance but, until now, no globally recognised and standardised way for measuring this and providing return on investment for ship owners. ISO 19030 satisfies that demand, prescribing measurement methodology and defining performance indicators for hull and propeller maintenance, repair and retrofit activities.

"We believe this will provide much needed transparency for both buyers and sellers of fuel saving technologies and solutions, and, in doing so, enable the industry to operate with genuinely enhanced efficiency and environmental performance."

Oftedahl has, since 2013, managed a project involving 53 experts in an ISO working group convened by Svend Soyland of Nordic Energy Research in a bid to develop a standard that is comprehensive, accurate and workable worldwide. This wide-ranging group encompasses ship owners, ship builders, class societies, paint manufacturers, performance monitoring companies and research institutions.

With the standard now on the cusp of final approval, Jotun is moving to ensure that the HPS offering is fully compliant.

"The standard gives customers peace of mind and we're acknowledging that by refining our HPS High Performance guarantee," he comments. Jotun's HPS solution combines SeaQuantum X200 silyl methacrylate antifouling coating technology with a full suite of sensors to measure hull performance and speed loss.

"Previously we used our own methodology as the basis for the guarantee, promising to refund customers the cost of the HPS upgrade if their vessel hulls failed to meet performance targets," Oftedahl explains. "However, now that a universal standard is so close to publication, we will use it as the foundation for the guarantee, effectively leading the industry with the first ISO/DIS 19030 compliant performance promise."

HPS, which launched to the market in 2011, has proved its efficacy in delivering long-term efficiency and performance gains. In March, Jotun released data for its the first ever five year dry-docking of a vessel treated with the solution - Gearbulk's Penguin Arrow [pictured] - showing that it recorded a fuel saving of USD 1.5 million, cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by some 12,055 tonnes, across a 60-month period.

In a bid to keep the industry updated with hull performance solutions and the arrival of ISO 19030, Jotun is holding special seminar event at this year's Posidonia event in Athens (6-10 June).

Speakers at the seminar, on 9 June, include representatives from both Jotun and DNV GL and will cover issues including measurement challenges and solutions, the background to the ISO standard, and its wider implications for the industry.

Image: Gearbulk's Penguin Arrow