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Marine antifouling coatings developer Jotun reports that the container vessel Cosco Europe has recorded a "dramatic reduction in fuel costs and emissions" during the four years that the ship has been using Jotun's Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) coating technology.

According to Jotun, the 2008-built, 10,062-TEU container ship has slashed bunker fuel costs by $4.5 million and reduced CO2 emissions by some 29,500 tonnes compared to "market average figures".

Mr. Hou, Deputy General Manager of Cosco Shipping Lines, remarked: "As a company we are committed to delivering optimal value for all our stakeholders and the best environmental performance for our fleet, which forms a key link in the global supply chain. HPS has proven that it helps us meet these demands, enabling market leading hull performance and unlocking significant fuel and emissions savings.

"We are dedicated to upholding the highest standards across the long term for our customers. Jotun's development of the HPS antifouling and measurement system shows that it shares those same values. We look forward to further collaboration and efficiencies in the future."

HPS combines Jotun's advanced SeaQuantum X200 silyl methacrylate antifouling, performance analysis according to ISO 19030, technical service and a high-performance guarantee. The coating limits the growth of organisms on the hull - thus minimising frictional resistance - while the analysis and performance guarantee are designed to ensure measurability and accountability.

Earlier this year, Jotun released data for the first ever five-year dry-docking of a vessel treated with the solution - Gearbulk's Penguin Arrow. This documented that HPS, by limiting the growth of organisms on the hull, enabled a fuel saving of $1.5 million, cutting CO2 emissions by some 12,055 tonnes, across the 60-month period.

"HPS has now been applied to over 400 vessels worldwide since its launch in 2011," commented Alfie Ong, VP Jotun Marine Coatings. "As we get more and more long-term data from the system, which is the first solution of its kind to measure performance in line with ISO 19030, we get the hard evidence to prove what we already knew - namely that HPS delivers the cleanest hulls, highest efficiency and best environmental performance on the market."

Jotun added: "More and more key global shipping players, such as Cosco Shipping Lines, are recognising the power of this proposition. They understand that an investment in HPS is 'low hanging fruit' when it comes to optimising hull performance and delivering long-term value for their vessels. We're delighted to be able to provide documented proof of such impressive savings for them."

Ong notes that the ship, which received the HPS treatment at Cosco (Zhoushan) Shipyard in October 2012, has so far recorded a speed loss of just 0.76% (measured to ISO 19030). This compares to a market average of 5.9% for vessels treated with standard antifouling solutions.

Jotun says it expects to announce further vessel agreements with Cosco Shipping "in the coming months".

ISO 19030

Earlier this month, Jotun said the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) new ISO 19030 standard - conceived to measure changes in ship-specific hull and propeller performance - could reduce the industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent, while saving operators up to $30 billion in annual energy costs.

The standard offers a two-tier methodological approach: ISO 19030-2, the default measurement method, with the most exacting requirements and greatest measurement accuracy; and ISO 19030-3, allowing for alternative methods and included in order to increase the applicability of the standard.

"With this standard we can finally quantify how solutions, such as advanced antifouling coatings, can tackle that issue - providing accountability and ROI for shipowners, while detailing the enormous potential for GHG and cost reductions," said Geir Axel Oftedahl, Business Development Director of Jotun - Hull Performance Solutions, on 18th November.

"The standard provides a transparency that has been lacking in the industry and will be a central driver for enhancing environmental performance and vessel efficiency," Oftedahl added.