Marine coatings leader, Nippon Paint Marine, today announces the successful application of its award-winning FASTAR product line to over 1000 vessels since its release in 2021.

With the shipping industry adapting to tighter global and regional emissions regulations to meet decarbonisation targets, ship owners and operators are under significant pressure to act rapidly to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their vessels. Nippon Paint Marine’s fourth generation anti-fouling system. The system incorporates a new resin technology, which promotes better hull performance and more sustainable and efficient operations through a reduction in fuel consumption, as well as associated costs and emissions. The innovative coating helps to address the trend for slow steaming to achieve EEXI targets, by lowering energy usage during voyages. The coating also reduces fouling build up for vessels operating in higher sea water temperatures with lower voyage activity levels.

Since incorporating FASTAR into their product portfolio in 2021, Nippon Paint Marine has seen uptake of the coating increase rapidly and has received positive and encouraging feedback from customers who have used the product. Fuel consumption and emissions reductions of up to 8% have been proven, as well as a significant reduction in drydocking time due to the reduced thickness in application required, which means that the coating is able to dry much quicker than alternative solutions.

Continued innovation by Nippon Paint Marine’s R&D department has led to the improvement of the product line, which now provides an ultra-low friction coating and patented hydrogel water-trapping technology. By incorporating hydrogel in anti-fouling products, Nippon Paint Marine has significantly reduced hull-to-water friction.

Kazuaki Masuda, Corporate Officer, Technology Division Director at Nippon Paint Marine, said: “At Nippon Paint Marine, innovation represents a core brand pillar that drives our product development to ensure we can deliver great value to our customers, with our advanced product technology. The positive results that FASTAR is achieving, even at this early stage, are very encouraging and are important for both Nippon Paint Marine, and our customers. It is technology and solutions that will play a vital role in supporting the shipping industry’s continued efforts to achieving net zero emissions, that will benefit our oceans and the planet for decades to come.”

In May, FASTAR was recognised by the Japan Chemical Industry Association at its annual technology awards, becoming the first marine coating to win the JCIA’s prestigious Environmental Technology award.