Steelpaint has completed a pivotal coating trial aboard the FSO Topaz, marking the company’s first official reference on a Floating Storage and Offloading unit.

The project also represents a major entry point for its MCPU (single component moisture cure polyurethane) coating technology in the offshore energy market, providing a field-tested alternative to conventional coating systems.

A 100µm Stelpant-PU-Zinc primer and a 200µm Stelpant Combination 300 test patch was applied to the FSO’s chain deck, an area prone to extreme mechanical stress, heavy abrasion and extensive impact damage from anchor chains and containers.

Steelpaint China supervised the airless spray application during a scheduled drydock in April at the Huarun Dadong Dockyard (HRDD) in Shanghai, China.

According to Steelpaint China Managing Director Li Yinlong the application demonstrated Stelpant’s ability to easily adhere to surfaces prepared via high-pressure water washing to an Sa2 standard.

“It also confirmed the system’s compatibility with existing epoxies and its high tolerance for light-to-medium flash rust. Pull-off adhesion tests resulted in more than 20Mpa which is far more beyond than evaluation criteria of conventional epoxy coating of 5Mpa,” he said.

Athens-based World Carrier Corporation was keen to trial the coating to compare Stelpant’s impact resistance and application benefits against its existing conventional epoxy coating system, especially on areas where steel temperatures can reach 40°C.

Li Yinlong said minimising time in drydock was a critical factor for the offshore vessel operators. “The Steelpaint system demonstrated remarkable application speed, with the entire process taking 12 hours. The FSO was able to return to service just 24 hours later. This efficiency significantly reduces project downtime compared to traditional epoxy systems that require lengthy drying periods,” he said.

Test results to date have confirmed that the MCPU technology “offers a faster, more resilient pathway for the offshore asset protection and coating maintenance requirements,” said Frank Müller, Steelpaint Director.

“This project was more than a coatings trial for an operator,” he said, “it represents a proof of concept for the entire offshore energy sector. We have proven that Stelpant provides a level of durability and application speed that traditional epoxies simply cannot match. This reference allows us to formally target the FPSO and FSO markets with a field-tested solution”.

Stelpant-PU-Combination 300 is a one component low solvent polyurethane containing micaceous iron oxide. Due to Steelpaint’s unique binder technology, it can be applied at temperatures ranging from -5°C to 50°C and in relative humidity up to 98%, providing maximum corrosion protection in the most aggressive marine and industrial environments.

When used in combination with Stelpant-PU-Zinc or Stelpant-PU-Oxide primer, it is suitable for the protection of all types of hydraulic steel structures exposed to high mechanical impact.

As offshore operators continue to balance maintenance intervals, downtime costs and asset longevity, coating technologies that offer both mechanical resilience and simplified application are likely to attract increased attention.