USA headquartered manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings  has signed a new deal to recoat the cargo tanks of two chemical tankers for Dubai based shipping group Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC

The deal will see APC apply in MarineLINE tank coating system on the 45,951 DWT GULF DEFFI and the 45,907 DWT GULF JALMUDA, both built in 2009. The work will be carried out at IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China with APC providing specialist on the ground guidance led by its China based engineering team.

The latest deal follows an extensive recoating project APC undertook in 2023 for GULFNAV on two of its other tankers the 45,920 DWT GULF FANATIR and the 45,967 DWT GULF HUWAYLAT at the COSCO shipyard in Shanghai. Both vessels were built in South Korea in 2008.

The tankers carry a wide range of chemicals and the recoating work on all four vessels involves the traditional zinc and epoxy coating being replaced by MarineLINE.

APC Global Marine Manager Onur Yildirim says MarineLINE’s high-performance and proven track record, when compared with traditional zinc and epoxy coating, were key factors in it being chosen as the preferred coating.

He said: “We are delighted to be extending our partnership with GULFNAV as it continues on its growth journey. With these older vessels, GULFNAV wanted a more robust solution for handling a wide range of aggressive chemicals including methanol, a solution that critically performs well over a long period in rough seas when the pressure exerted on the coatings is immense.

“The cargo tank coatings are one of the most important elements of the vessel and are critical to ensuring the tanker can operate at full capacity, regularly unloading and loading cargoes without cross contamination.  MarineLINE has proved itself time and time again through its resilience, consistently transporting the 100 or so most commonly carried chemicals in all sea states over many years, including methanol.

He added: “GULFNAV is headquartered in Dubai and we see the Gulf as a key export market for APC and MarineLINE moving forward.”

Ali Abouda GULFNAV’s chief financial officer said:

“In APC, we’ve found not just a collaborator, but a synergy of vision and values. Coating our vessels with the MarineLine, ensures unparalleled protection.  We are fusing our expertise and innovation, to strengthen our vessels against the rigors of the sea. We believe this project will be transformative for our fleet and set a new standard in protection and efficiency.”

MarineLINE is rigorously tested at APC’s R&D facility in Avon Ohio to ensure it can provide protection against thousands of highly aggressive chemicals.

Today MarineLINE stands out in the coatings industry for its ability to protect cargo tanks from more IMO approved chemicals than any other coating in the world.

Demand for MarineLINE is growing with revenue up 42pc in 2023 with 56pc of revenue already on order for 2024.

To drive growth APC is doubling the size of its US factory in Avon near Cleveland in the heart of America’s rust belt.  The multi-million dollar, eight figure expansion project, is an investment in APC’s future operations in marine and industrial sectors.

The expanded 20,000 sq ft factory will feature a new automated manufacturing system enabling faster and greater production capacity.

The factory will further enable APC to store more resin cutting costs of raw materials, while the new equipment provides the company with more production versatility freeing up manufacturing capacity for spot business. It will also see APC deliver MarineLINE in more efficient quantities of 55-gallon drums instead of paint cans.

APC has also launched a new digital platform this year for shipping line customers, to help seafarers and vessel operators manage chemical cargoes more safely.

The new ‘MarineLINE Customer Care’ platform has been created to enable shipping lines to better understand how to maintain APC’s MarineLINE tank coating and to access the vital information operators require on a day-to-day basis for a MarineLINE coated vessel and the aggressive cargoes it enables them to carry.  The portal is the result of a year-long collaboration with some of the biggest chemical tanker operators in the world. The platform is accessed via the APC website and is designed to tackle the primary pain points of cargo tank maintenance. The portal features details on more than 2,000 chemicals and the vessels worldwide which have been coated with MarineLINE.

APC has around 12 per cent of the global chemical tanker coating market with some 700 ships worldwide coated with MarineLINE.