The changing regulatory landscape, with Fuel EU coming into full effect and the extension of the EU Emissions Trade System (EU ETS) scope, has added additional considerations for vessel owners and operators when it comes to keeping their fleet efficient and compliant.

At International® marine coatings last year, we experienced a record number of customers choosing the right underwater hull schemes for their vessels to support compliance with the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). Specifically, this translates to a rise in the use of our revolutionary digital tool, Intertrac® Vision, which tailors coating schemes to the individual needs of each vessel in a particular fleet based on actionable insights, and is manned by our network of hull performance experts.

The introduction of CII means that vessels have been rated A to E, best to worst, according to their carbon intensity data. This new regulation is part of the International Marine Organization’s (IMO) drive for the marine industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to become net zero by 2050.

According to predictions in a report by Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network, approximately 5,836 vessels, 23 percent of the world’s fleet, have been rated D under the CII regulation and their operators have three years to reduce emissions or risk being taken out of service.

The report also estimated 1,109 vessels, four percent of the global fleet, were rated E last year and have just 12 months to become compliant or face decommission. Shipowners, whose vessels are rated D for three consecutive years or E for one year, must also submit a corrective action plan.

In order to support shipowners and operators in the transition with better insights and data, we introduced the industry-first marine coatings and forecasting tool, the aforementioned Intertrac® Vision, and have recently updated our tool to further benefit our customers. The updated version has new capabilities to predict how the vessel will be classified under the CII regulation, and how shipowners can improve their rating, allowing them to make better informed decisions for their vessels.

This also enables shipowners to assess the impact of fouling control coatings on vessel fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, achieved through insights into total cost of ownership and extended dry docking cycles, helping customers make data-driven decisions.

Advanced marine coatings and technologies alone are not enough to address this challenge. Shipowners want the trusted expertise and track record, along with tailored solutions to make data-driven and more informed investment decisions.

Last year, we published a whitepaper that demonstrated the high degree of accuracy of Intertrac® Vision, as well as the contribution of the Intercept® 8500 LPP coating to vessel performance. Our tool projected a 1.4 percent speed loss over a 60-month in-service period which proved to be in line with actual vessel performance.

Furthermore, the application of Intercept 8500 LPP resulted in a reduction of vessel carbon emissions of approximately 8,500 tonnes over the five years. As a result of these steps, the vessel maintained a CII ‘A’ grade rating throughout the study which resulted in the customer achieving both performance and decarbonization targets.

At International®, we recognize the pressing challenges that the CII regulation poses to our customers. Vessels rated D for three consecutive years or E for one year must submit a corrective action plan and improve their rating or face being taken out of service.

The possibility of losing almost a quarter of vessels from the global fleet is extremely concerning and would cause significant disruption to the shipping industry. However, there are steps that shipowners can take to invest in regulation compliance.

Through our innovative coatings, hull performance team, data-driven insights and forecasting, we are uniquely positioned to be a partner of choice to help shipowners become compliant while maintaining operational efficiency.
Source: Chris Birkert, Marine Segment Manager at AkzoNobel