AkzoNobel Joins Project to Develop Environmentally Friendly Coatings
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - AkzoNobel has joined SEAFRONT (Synergistic Fouling Control Technologies), a project within the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission, to develop environmentally friendly fouling-control coatings for boats, ships, tidal power plants and other aquatic installations. The coatings will be designed to improve operational efficiency, substantially reduce CO2 emissions and have no negative impact on the marine ecosystem. The Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI) is the other main contractor of the project.
The coatings to be developed within the project will not leach chemical or other harmful substances that are non-biodegradable in the marine environment. In addition, the coatings will reduce the hydrodynamic resistance of ships and boats, decreasing fuel consumption and thus substantially reducing CO2 emissions. Finally, the new coatings will lead to considerable savings in operational costs by improving the efficiency of tidal power installations and reducing the frequency of maintenance and cleaning in offshore infrastructure and aquaculture applications.