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As the world’s leading supplier of marine coatings, Jotun works with a wide range of stakeholders working to decarbonise shipping.
“But leadership, innovation and collaboration can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future,” said Jotun President and CEO Morten Fong.
From his office on the seventh-floor corner of Jotun’s headquarters and R&D center, Fon has a magnificent view of the sea traffic entering and leaving Norway’s Sandefjord port.
While the BREEAM-NOR certified building is new (completed in 2020), Fon’s perspective is no stranger to company founder Odd Gleditsch sen, who set up the company in 1926 on the same piece of land.
many challenges
“Jotun’s roots in the maritime industry go back almost a century, so we have experienced many challenges in this highly cyclical industry,” he said. “But in my view, how the industry responds to climate change in the next decade will have a huge impact on how the industry operates for generations to come.”
It all starts and ends with a clean hull
While Fon acknowledges that the industry still has a long way to go to meet the IMO’s greenhouse gas emissions targets, which call for a carbon intensity reduction of at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2008 levels, he sees some encouraging signs of change. “In addition to adopting new technologies, more stakeholders than ever before are collaborating on ambitious projects to reduce harmful emissions.”
Fon supports all of these efforts, many of which are focused on developing and commercializing alternative fuels for ships. But he noted that it will take time for the necessary infrastructure to be in place to meet the existing needs of the world fleet. time is limited.
“As leaders in hull performance, we’re focused on where we can make a difference,” he said. “After all, keeping a cleaner hull with the least amount of fouling means that the boat moves through the water with less drag, which reduces the amount of fuel needed to get to the same speed. Less fuel is burned, and fewer emissions. But we also see We realized that by collaborating with others, we could have a greater impact.”
Forge partnerships to transform industries
In fact, Jotun has a long history of cooperation. Many Jotun product innovations involve collaboration with shipowners and shipyards, while others involve collaboration with technology partners and relevant stakeholders in the private and public sectors. For example, in 2013 Jotun helped form an ISO working group of 53 experts to develop the industry’s first hull and propeller performance standard (ISO 19030), which was published in 2016. Last year, Jotun joined the Clean Hull Initiative (CHI), which aims to develop a global standard for active hull cleaning in international shipping. “Standards provide owners with a tool to measure performance,” Fon said. “What can be measured is manageable.”
As a pioneer in active hull cleaning, Jotun is a valued partner of CHI. In fact, in 2020 Jotun launched the world’s first active hull cleaning solution, Hull Skating Solutions (HSS). The HSS includes a remotely operated underwater hull cleaning unit (Jotun HullSkater) which uses non-abrasive brushes to remove dirt attached to the hull before it can, without damaging the anti-fouling coating. To develop the technology, Jotun worked with a team of partners including Kongsberg Maritime, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Semcon, Telenor and DNV.
“HSS is a great example of how partnerships can be key to developing unique solutions to help the industry improve its environmental performance,” he said. “Not only does the HSS maintain a consistently clean hull, it also reduces the risk of spreading invasive species, which can wreak havoc on local marine ecosystems. Conservation of biodiversity is closely linked to decarbonisation of the shipping industry and both require cleaning hull and pay attention to biofouling management.”
transparency is key
Fon is also encouraged by the industry’s adoption of data-driven services to improve performance. “Increasingly stringent regulations, combined with increasing pressure from cargo owners to reduce emissions, has led to a greater focus on transparency,” he said. “To achieve compliance and become more competitive, shipowners must be able to measure, record and share standardized reports on emissions and hull condition.”
The ability to document regulatory compliance extends to protecting sensitive marine ecosystems. “Many countries have become more sensitive to invasive species and will deny entry to ports to ships that cannot demonstrate clean hulls,” Fon said. “A good biofouling management policy, together with tools to measure and report performance, will help shipowners avoid the so-called ‘dirty hull syndrome’, which is a growing problem for shipowners.”
With the launch of Jotun Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) in 2010, the company started developing its own digital services early, says Fon. “In addition to our premium hull coating SeaQuantum x200 and high-end technical services, HPS offers a performance-based guarantee calculated using data acquired from onboard sensors,” he explained. “Accessing this data not only allowed us to verify HPS performance, but also gave us some real insight into hull performance over time, adding to our understanding and expertise.”
Disruptive innovation outside the tank
With over 1,400 HPS applications to date, Jotun now has the most extensive hull performance database in the industry. “Based on data collected over a decade, we have developed advanced hull efficiency algorithms to deliver enhanced services such as the Business Impact Calculator and Jotun Voyager, a decision support tool that helps clients choose the right hull efficiency for individual industries. “Last year, we launched HullKeeper, a digital platform that helps ship operators optimize hull performance using remotely operated inspection drones, ROVs and other technologies, regardless of the coating applied how.”
Asked whether all this investment in hull-cleaning robots and digital services meant Jotun was changing its business model, Fon laughed. “Never!” he said. “Everything we do supports our core product: marine coatings. That’s why we’ve invested in one of the most advanced R&D facilities in Norway,” he adds, pointing to the gleaming white building visible next door. “Our 100+ chemists are working hard every day to develop the next generation of products to meet the changing needs of the industry and remain committed to solving today’s and tomorrow’s industry challenges.”
low hanging fruit
Fon acknowledges that managing biofouling is only one piece of the decarbonization puzzle. To bring about meaningful change, Fon believes property owners need common global regulations and more support from the public sector to accelerate the green energy transition. In the meantime, homeowners would be wise to consider “all of the above” approaches to energy efficiency.
“As we will see at Nor Shipping 2023, there are many solutions, but investing in quality hull coatings is, in my opinion, a ‘no-brainer’, especially as emissions and biofouling guidelines tighten and fuel costs remain presence is high,” he said. “Ship owners have to paint their hulls anyway, so why not choose a hull paint that is not only proven to reduce fuel costs and corresponding emissions, but also helps them compete for higher value cargo by maintaining a high CII rating? “
In fact, Jotun has calculated (based on EU MRV data) that HPS contributes to an average annual carbon intensity reduction of around 20% and, depending on trade, a return on investment can be expected within approximately the same period. “Even if more expensive alternative fuels can be used, a cleaner hull will help shipowners maintain operational efficiency and profitability, and limit the risk of invasive species,” Fon said. “We calculate that in 2022 alone, ships using Jotun Hull Performance Coatings will avoid 7.9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, so the impact is huge.”
make friends
Fon is realistic about the challenges facing the industry, but insists that leadership, innovation and collaboration are the way forward. “We see ourselves as part of the solution, but we also know that by collaborating with other industry players, we can maximize our impact,” Fon said. “At Jotun we strive to be part of the solution and Nor-Shipping is a great place to make new friends!” — trade arab news agency
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