Lloyd’s Register awards “first-ever” enhanced antifouling type approval

October 30, 2024, by Sara Kosmajac

The UK-based classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted the maritime industry’s ‘first-ever’ enhanced antifouling type approval to Canada-based coatings company Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT Coatings).

The type approval was created to provide ship owners and operators with ‘validated assurance’ for antifouling coatings’ performance concerning hull cleanliness and smoothness, pre- and post-grooming operations, LR explained.

As disclosed, GIT Coatings was awarded the approval for its XGIT-Fuel graphene-based hull coating, made in such a manner that it creates an ultra-low friction surface, which is believed to increase vessel performance and reduce emissions without the use of biocides, silicon oils, or other toxic components.

The vessel’s out-of-dock performance is reportedly maintained during the docking cycle using a ‘hull grooming program’ the role of which is to remove biofoul from the hull without damaging or delaminating its paint or discharging various organisms into the marine ecosystem.

The enhanced type approval, LR highlighted, serves to ensure that XGIT-Fuel retains its performance before and after the process of removing microfouling or slime, also known as grooming – with no roughness increase or thickness loss – and that it is compatible with the agreed grooming frequency based on a vessel’s biofouling risk assessment.

“Receiving the first enhanced type approval from Lloyd’s Register is a major milestone for us. It validates the effectiveness of our hard foul release technology in keeping an always clean hull when combined with a hull grooming regime,” shared Philippos Sifiris, Head of Market Strategy & Vessel Performance at GIT Coatings.

According to Sifiris, the enhanced antifouling type approval was created in direct response to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2023 guidelines for the control and management of ships’ biofouling with the aim of minimizing the transfer of invasive aquatic species.

The IMO does acknowledge the importance of biofouling management in reducing emissions and achieving global sustainability goals, considering it a ‘vital’ optimization element for the Carbon Intensity Calculator (CII).

A study by the Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety – part of IMO’s GloFouling Partnerships Project – also showed that keeping hulls clean can reduce a ship’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 25%, which is in direct line with the IMO’s net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

Nonetheless, Sifiris added that while the IMO’s Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships (AFS Convention), ensures antifouling coatings do not include prohibited substances, it does not address performance or cleaning requirements—two factors considered “critical” for biofouling control.

“Our new approval provides a crucial service in plugging this gap, moving it beyond statutory IMO compliance to help companies comply with rapidly changing legislation,” Heather Hughes, Team Leader for Non-Metallics and Coating Materials at Lloyd’s Register, further commented.