Akzo Nobel’s International Paint business has teamed up with Lloyd’s Register to offer shipyards in China step-by-step advice on how to prepare to meet the requirements of the new Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC).

Akzo Nobel’s International Paint business has teamed up with Lloyd’s Register to offer shipyards in China step-by-step advice on how to prepare to meet the requirements of the new Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC). With the shipping industry looking to increase vessel safety and lifecycles by preventing corrosion, this new partnership has been offering interested Chinese shipyards a free consultancy, or “gap analysis” survey. The survey compares their current processes for coating a ship’s water ballast tanks with those that will be required under the new PSPC regulations adopted late last year by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

To date, Lloyd’s Register (the world’s first classification society) and International Paint have completed gap analyses for four of China’s biggest private and state-owned shipyards and have agreements in place to extend this service to many other leading yards in the country.

“The gap analysis we are jointly offering not only gives yards a clear strategy for meeting the challenges of this key regulatory development, it also gives them an idea of which areas need the greatest attention,” explained Nick Brown, Lloyd’s Register’s general manager for business development China. “From there, the yards can start to calculate the extra costs involved before negotiating contracts with prospective buyers.”

For more information, visitwww.akzonobel.com.