HHI and HMD Expand of Application of Eco-friendly 1 Coating System

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) are continuing to lead the field in the design and construction of eco-friendly vessels, and have furthered this leadership by acquiring an Approval in Principal (AiP) of the application of “solvent free 1 coating system” for water ballast tanks from both the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) and the Liberian Registry.

This eco-friendly (solvent free) 1 coating system has been verified for excellent coating quality when compared to the traditional double coating system by passing the high-quality standards for alternative specifications as specified in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) PSPC regulations. Through the issuance of the AiP by the Classification Society and the Flag State, the eco-friendly ship design has reached a new paradigm, one that will benefit ship owners in lower cost, better performance, and ensuring compliance with international regulations.

An award ceremony in honor of the approval was held at KR headquarters in Busan, Korea on May 27, 2020. Senior officers from the stakeholders were present for this momentous occasion: Mr. Oh Min Ahn of HHI, Mr. Yeong Jun Nam of HMD; Mr. Yean Tae Kim of KR; and Mr. Jung Sik Kim of Liberian Registry (Korea office).

Mr. Ahn, Senior Vice President of HHI said “This acquisition of AiP will be a foundation to secure competitiveness in the shipbuilding industry also following global eco-friendly trends, eventually maximize the satisfaction of our clients, ship owners,”

Mr. Nam, Executive Vice President of HMD, added, “We can lay the groundwork for dramatically improving the shipbuilding process with the eco-friendly 1 coating system, which has an excellent protective coating performance. And we believe it will contribute to increase of coating productivity and enhance the coating quality in the near future” 

Mr. Kim, Executive Vice President of KR, said, “We are very pleased to be working on this project with the Liberian Registry, which has long contributed to maritime safety and environmental protection, and Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, which are leading global shipbuilding technology”, and appraised, “This project will provide an opportunity to decisively enhance the prestige of the Korean shipbuilding industry by leading eco-friendly shipbuilding technology.”

Mr. Kim, Managing Director of the Liberian Registry in Korea, delivered a message from Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian Registry in HQ: “On behalf of the Liberian Registry, and our entire global team, I want to thank all stakeholders for making Liberi a part of this important project. We are proud to have been able to use our experienced

Technical in-house experts to work with HHI, HMD, and KR closely to reach this Approval in Principal.”

The eco-friendly 1 coat system (solvent free) application is now approved and established due to the very close cooperation between the shipyards, classification society, and Flag State. It is expected that high-quality and eco-friendly ship coating will be the future go-to option for shipowners, and will provide a significant savings.