APC to recoat cargo tanks of two Gulf Navigation chemical tankers at Chinese shipyard
Gulf Navigation’s Gulf Deffi is to have her cargo tanks recoated with APC’s MarineLINE coating in China (Source: Gulf Navigation)
Ohio-based Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) is to recoat the cargo tanks of two Gulf Navigation-owned chemical tankers at China’s IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, with APC providing specialist on-the-ground guidance led by its China-based engineering team.
The two vessels to be recoated with APC’s MarineLINE tank coating system for the Dubai-based operator are the 45,951dwt Gulf Deffi and the 45,907dwt Gulf Muda, both built in 2009. MarineLINE is replacing the vessels existing traditional zinc and epoxy coating. Gulf Deffi is already at the Chinese shipyard.
APC’s latest contract with this UAE-based operator follows an extensive recoating project it undertook in 2023 on two of its other tankers, the 45,920dwt Gulf Fanatir and the 45,967dwt Gulf Huwaylat at Cosco’s Shanghai Shipyard. Both chemical tankers were built in South Korea in 2008.
A key factor in Gulf Navigation’s choice of MarineLINE for its vessels was the tank coatings high performance and proven track record when compared with traditional zinc and epoxy coatings.
APC’s Global Marine Manager, Onur Yildirim said: “With these older vessels, Gulfnav wanted a more robust solution for handling a wide range of aggressive chemicals, including methanol, a solution that critically performs well over a long period in rough seas when the pressure exerted on the coatings is immense.”
APC sees the Arabian Gulf as a key export market for MarineLINE. Commenting on its latest contract, Gulf Navigation’s chief financial officer, Ali Abouda, said: “In APC, we’ve found not just a collaborator, but a synergy of vision and values. Coating our vessels with MarineLINE ensures unparalleled protection. We are fusing our expertise and innovation to strengthen our vessels against the rigors of the sea. We believe this project will be transformative for our fleet and set a new standard in protection and efficiency.”
Demand for MarineLINE is growing. Revenue was up 42% in 2023, and 56% of revenue is already on order for 2024. To drive growth, APC is doubling the size of its US factory in Avon, near Cleveland, Ohio. This multi-million USD, eight-figure expansion project is an investment in APC’s future operations in marine and industrial sectors.
APC has also launched a new digital platform for shipping company customers this year to help seafarers and vessel operators manage chemical cargoes more safely. The new MarineLINE Customer Care platform has been created to enable shipping companies to better understand how to maintain MarineLINE and to access the vital operators require on a day-to-day basis for a MarineLINE coated vessel and the aggressive cargoes it enables them to carry.
Meanwhile, other vessels undergoing repair at China’s IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan on April 25th were:
- Daniel – 319,260dwt 2013-built crude oil tanker, owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co, Tehran
- Gulf Jalmuda – 45,907dwt 2009-built chemical tanker, owned by the UAE’s Gulf Stolt Shipmanagement, Dubai
- Nikolay Zuyev – 122,039dwt 2012-built crude oil tanker, owned by Russia’s SCF Novoship, Novorossiysk
- Sea Hermes – 49,242dwt 1993-built 73,882m3 LPG tanker, owned by the UAE’s Penta Ocean Shipmanagement & Operations, Dubai
- Saehan Liberty – 19,801dwt 2011-built chemical tanker, owned by Singapore’s PACC Ship Managers and managed by Norway’s Hansa Tankers Management, Bergen
