Freight Rate Surge Could Affect Underwater Hull Coatings As Liner Trades Defer Dry-Dockings
Nippon Paint Marine is seeing liner operators increasingly postpone dry-dockings as they look to keep vessels operational to meet the recent surge in demand for container shipments.
“Container ship owners want to push dry-docking schedules as much as possible because of the high freight rates and capacity shortage,” said John Drew, Director, Nippon Paint Marine (Europe).
“Although the shipowner’s classification society has the final say in accepting any plans to postpone a five-year dry-docking, we are beginning to see deferments of several months.”
According to the coatings’ manufacturer, the marine coating division of Japan’s Nippon Paint Group, postponed dry-dockings could possibly impair the long-term performance of hull coatings, possibly resulting in increased fouling, fuel consumption and emissions.