The rise in the number of Turkish shipyards from 37 in 2002 to about 85 has substantially increased the country’s newbuild capacity but shiprepair and maintenance continues to account for much of the industry’s maritime activity, as more shipowners extend vessel service life.

For instance, Turkish yards, concentrated around the Tuzla, Yalova and Kocaeli regions, repaired or maintained 46.4 million dwt in 2024, compared with 13.1 million dwt in 2011. And although 2025 throughput eased to 42.4 million dwt, long-term projections reflect a strong position in the international repair market.

“Shipowners are looking much more closely at the cost of maintaining their vessels over their remaining service lives and coating quality is increasingly seen as a way of reducing the maintenance spend over the long term,” says Steelpaint director Frank Müller.

We are frequently being asked how frequently cargo tanks need recoating with a Stelpant coat? How can the coating optimise surface preparation requirements and reduce the time a vessel spends in drydock. Effective corrosion protection has a much greater impact on maintenance expenditure than one might think,” he says.

According to the Turkish Chamber of Shipping, vessels above 1,000gt had an average age of 22.2 years in January 2025, providing a substantial domestic customer base for coatings repair and life-extension work.

“For ageing vessels, corrosion can result in costly steel renewal work, particularly where coating deterioration has required repeated maintenance with less than effective protective coatings,” says Dmitry Gromilin, Steelpaint’s technical service manager.

“Cargo holds are particularly challenging for manufacturers of conventional coatings, with repeated loading and discharge operations exposing steel surfaces to abrasion, mechanical damage and moisture. Repair specifications must consider not only corrosion resistance but also coating durability and compatibility with existing protective systems,” he explains.

Türkiye’s newbuilding industry is also providing new opportunities for Steelpaint’s range of single-component, moisture-cured polyurethane coatings, particularly Stelpant PU-Zinc and PU-Combination 300.

Although new deliveries remain modest compared with the country’s 2008 peak, yards have established specialist positions in tugboats, ferries, chemical tankers, fishing vessels and yachts.

Tugboats accounted for approximately 70% of Turkish shipyard orders, followed by passenger and car ferries at 8% and chemical and oil tankers at 7%.

“These vessels frequently operate under demanding conditions, with workboats exposed to mechanical damage and ferries subject to intensive operating schedules. Selecting protective coatings during construction can help owners establish longer-term maintenance strategies before vessels enter service,” Gromilin says.

Steelpaint’s presence in Türkiye extends beyond shipbuilding and repair, however. For example, in 2025, Steelpaint coatings were applied to the tubular steel sheet piles at the Tosçelik Spiral Boru factory. The structures were manufactured for the expansion of Germany’s Port of Cuxhaven, where three additional berths, LP5 to LP7, are being developed along 1250m of new quay infrastructure.

Müller says the project illustrates Türkiye’s role in supplying fabricated steel structures for international marine infrastructure developments, where long-term corrosion protection is essential.

“The Turkish market offers opportunities across several different applications. In addition to the shiprepair and newbuild sectors, we are increasingly working with fabricators supplying steel structures for major infrastructure projects. They also require coating systems that can be applied efficiently and provide reliable protection under demanding service conditions,” he says.

The country’s importance to the protective coatings segment is one of the reasons Steelpaint will be showcasing recent marine and infrastructure projects at Europort Istanbul, taking place from 4 to 6 November 2026 at the Yenikapi Expo Centre.

Steelpaint will attend the event with its Istanbul-based representative, Remeks, which provides a local point of contact for the German manufacturer’s revolutionary protective coating technologies.