Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded the maritime industry’s first Enhanced Antifouling Type Approval to GIT Coatings.
The development of this new type of approval sets a new standard for antifouling coatings to address the growing need for effective biofouling management, which contributes to decarbonisation efforts and protecting marine ecosystems.
LR is the first classification society to offer this service, which provides ship owners and operators with validated assurance for antifouling coatings’ performance in relation to hull cleanliness and smoothness, pre- and post-grooming operations. Grooming is the periodical removal of microfouling (slime) to prevent the development of macrofouling on ships’ hulls.
The award has been granted to GIT Coatings for their XGIT-Fuel graphene-based hull coating, which is currently the only coating with this approval for grooming on the market. The Enhanced Type Approval ensures that XGIT-Fuel maintains its performance before and after grooming, with no roughness increase and no thickness loss, and is compatible with the agreed grooming frequency based on the vessel’s biofouling risk assessment.
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