Full coating and service solution

BP Shipping chooses Hempel’s coatings for LNG newbuildings

BP Shipping commissioned six new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier vessels to be built at the DSME Shipyard in South Korea. The state-of-the-art vessels were to be delivered in 2018 and 2019, and after several discussions and negotiations, we were asked to supply the coatings.

For the ballast tanks, we specified Hempadur Quattro 47604, a robust and easy-to-apply universal primer with excellent anti-corrosive properties. For the underwater hull, we specified Dynamic 9000, with an additional layer of Globic 9500S – a combination specifically designed to eliminate the buildup fouling during outfitting and provide long-term fuel savings once the vessels were out at sea.

To ensure all coatings were applied correctly, our service package included a team of coating advisors to oversee application. As the outfitting period for the vessels was long, we used robotic underwater technology to monitor the performance of the antifouling hull coating while the vessels were laid-up beside the dock.

We continue to work with BP Shipping, providing sea stock and maintenance coatings as well as hull performance monitoring services.

The challenge

BP Shipping manages a fleet of oil and gas tankers, and plays a vital role in transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to consumers around the globe.

As part of a fleet improvement programme, BP Shipping commissioned six newbuild LNG carriers to be built at the DSME Shipyard in South Korea, with delivery dates in 2018 and 2019. When it came to coatings for the vessels, BP Shipping had two very specific requirements: For the ballast tanks, it required a product with an extended lifetime; for the underwater hulls, it required a hull roughness not exceeding 125 microns from a tin-free 60-month antifouling system.

The solution

After closely examining the operational profile of the LNGs, our team created a full coatings and service package for the vessels. For the ballast tanks and other steel areas, we specified Hempadur Quattro 47604, a universal primer that includes 9 per cent aluminium and fibre-reinforcement to increase its strength and corrosion resistance. As a high-performance primer, Hempadur Quattro 47604 is able to meet BP Shipping’s service lifetime requirements.

For the underwater hull, we specified Dynamic 9000, an advanced silyl acrylate antifouling coating for aggressive fouling conditions. Also, due to the vessels’ long outfitting time, we specified a layer of Globic 9500S, which has been specially designed to reduce fouling during long idle periods. This combination eliminated the need for expensive hull cleaning after outfitting and ensures the vessels experience excellent fuel and emission savings when trading.

For all six vessels, we assigned a team of FROSIO/NACEcertifi ed coating advisors to oversee coating application. The teams worked with the applicators to make sure the coatings were applied to specification and coordinated with the project team to keep application time, waste and costs to a minimum.

Vessel  6 LNG vessels, each with a capacity of 173,400 m3
Vessel names  BRITISH SPONSOR, BRITISH MENTOR, BRITISH LISTENER, BRITISH CONTRIBUTOR, BRITISH ACHIEVER, BRITISH PARTNER
Delivery date  2018 and 2019
Location Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd (DSME), South Korea
Coatings  Antifoulings Dynamic 9000 and Globic 9500S (underwater hull); universal primer Hempadur Quattro 47604 (internal & external areas)

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