Hong Kong’s Pacific Basin to coat propellers of entire 40-ship fleet
Pacific Basin is to coat its entire 40-ship fleet with the XGIT-PROP propeller coating this year (Source: GIT Coatings)
Hong Kong-based bulk carrier operator Pacific Basin has decided to coat the propellers of its entire 40-ship fleet with a sustainable grapheme-based propeller coating – XGIT-PROP. The work will be undertaken during the scheduled drydocking of each vessel during 2024.
The biocide-free hard foul-release coating, developed by Canada’s GIT Coatings, based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, demonstrated the potential to enhance vessel performance by up to 4%, following data from the successful application to vessels in the Stolt Tanker fleet.
Following the successful application and observing the positive results on one of its Supramax bulk carriers, Pacific Basin has started the rollout of XGIT-PROP across its entire fleet.
This decarbonisation initiative marks the largest adoption of graphene-based propeller coatings in the dry bulk sector. It parallels the pioneering efforts of other shipowners, including Eastern Pacific Shipping and Stolt Tankers.
Sanjay Relan, the General Manager of optimisation and decarbonisation at Pacific Basin, explained that since 2007 the company had been coating its vessels’ propellers with silicone paint to maintain a smooth propeller surface and avoid the frequent need for polishing to recover lost performance.
However, Pacific Basin has not been able to avoid propeller edge damage to the silicone coating, which requires the entire propeller coating to be stripped and reapplied at every drydocking.
“By adopting XGIT-PROP hard coating for our entire fleet, we are taking a positive step towards more sustainable practices. We hope to maintain a damage-free smooth propeller surface and improve efficiency over longer periods. At a fleet-wide level, we anticipate significant reductions in both environmental impact and operational expenses,” said Mr Relan.
