SANDEFJORD, Norway - The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published the long-awaited ISO 19030, a new standard conceived to measure changes in ship-specific hull and propeller performance.

According to Jotun, the move has the potential to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions by 10%, while saving operators up to $30 billion in annual energy costs.

ISO 19030 has been more than three years in the making. It’s seen a collaboration of 53 expert stakeholders from throughout the industry working together to develop a uniform framework for measuring the efficacy of solutions improving hull and propeller performance. Jotun, a global leader in marine antifouling coatings, has been central to the process, with Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun Business Development Director, Hull Performance Solutions, managing the project for its entire duration on behalf of ISO.

"This is a day of celebration for all stakeholders in, and connected to, the global shipping industry,” he comments. “Poor hull and propeller performance accounts for around 10% of the world fleet’s energy costs ($30 billion) and green house gas (GHG) emissions. With this standard we can finally quantify how solutions, such as advanced antifouling coatings, can tackle that issue – providing accountability and ROI for ship owners while detailing the enormous potential for GHG and cost reductions.

“The standard provides a transparency that has been lacking in the industry and will be a central driver for enhancing environmental performance and vessel efficiency. I’d like to congratulate all the key players involved in this process, especially Svend Søyland, formerly of Bellona and now with Nordic Energy Research, who has convened the ISO working group, Standards Norway, including Knut Aune, who has served as the secretariat for ISO 19030, and, of course, ISO itself.

“This is a huge leap forward for shipping and the environment, and it would not have been possible without an extraordinary spirit of collaboration and consensus."

The standard offers a two-tier methodological approach: ISO 19030-2, the default measurement method, with the most exacting requirements and greatest measurement accuracy; and ISO 19030-3, allowing for “alternative methods” and included in order to increase the applicability of the standard.

"Jotun, for its part, already adheres to the most stringent demands of ISO 19030-2," notes Stein Kjølberg, Jotun's Global Sales Director, Hull Performance Solutions. “We use it as the foundation for the high-performance guarantee on our Hull Performance Solution (HPS) offering. As the guarantee concerns a very small speed loss, under 1.5%, only the most precise measurement criteria will suffice. For less demanding performance levels ISO 19030-3 is acceptable.

"We believe this kind of guarantee provides the perfect illustration of how ISO 19030 provides complete transparency and accountability for ship owners."

In developing the standard, the ISO working group met across more than three years and spent over 12,000 hours refining the methodology for publication.

Jotun’s HPS, combining advanced SeaQuantum X200 silyl methacrylate antifouling and a full suite of sensors attached to vessel hulls, was launched in 2011. It has since proved its ability to deliver long-term efficiency and performance gains. In March, the firm released data for the first-ever five-year dry docking of a vessel treated with the solution - Gearbulk’s Penguin Arrow. This documented that HPS, by successfully limiting the growth of organisms on the hull, enabled a fuel saving of $1.5 million, cutting CO₂ emissions by some 12,055 tonnes, across the 60-month period.