ACA Sustainability Report 2022 - Report - Page 16
ACA Sustainability Report / 2022
Marine Coatings
Marine paints and coatings are applied to commercial and
military ships — for both salt and fresh water —fixed and
floating marine structures such as offshore oil rigs, and
recreational boats and yachts. Specific areas of marine vessels
and yachts require specially formulated marine coatings, called
antifouling coatings, for use above and below the waterline.
These coatings, which are highly engineered and subject to
intense regulation, serve a dual purpose: they help reduce the
growth of marine organisms on immersed areas of ships, and
therefore reduce “drag,” greatly minimizing the ship’s energy
and fuel consumption.
Antifouling coatings carry tremendous eco-efficiency benefits:
when applied to tankers, bulk cargo and other vessel types, they
can reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions by an average
of 9% — no small feat, since shipping counts for an estimated
2-4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The coatings also
actively prevent the harmful transfer of invasive aquatic species
to different ocean ecosystems.
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