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| Latvian Shipping has already upgraded three of its products tankers with MarineLine. This is the No. 4 Starboard tank of the 16,340 dwt Zanis Griva. |
In a case study undertaken by Advanced Polymer Coatings, Avon, Ohio, newbuilding cost of a 37,000 dwt double hull chemical tanker with stainless steel tanks was found to be almost exactly double that of an equivalent tanker with carbon steel tanks protected by Advanced Polymer Coating's MarineLine Siloxirane polymer-based anticorrosion system.
AMORTIZATION COST
At $75 million, the stainless steel tank newbuilding would have a daily amortization cost of $23,433, compared with $11,810 per day for the $37.8 million MarineLine treated vessel. Both sets of figures assume 275 days of operation a year. But Advanced Polymer says that the Siloxirane-based MarineLine tank lining would also give savings in turn around time and off hire.
The Advanced Polymer case study considers a 29,000 dwt tanker carrying methanol and earning $20,000 a day t or $0.69/dwt being achieved by the shipowner.
This would produce a revenue of $25,530 daily for the 37,000 dwt newbuilding in the Advanced Polymer study. But allowing $6,162 per day for operating costs and adding in the amortization costs produces a scenario in which the stainless steel tanked vessel would face an operating deficit of more than $4,000 a day, while the vessel with MarineLine coated tanks would notch up a daily gross profit of over $7,500.
The Advanced Polymer product also offers economic advantages to in-service vessels. The cost of upgrading a 46,000 dwt products/oil carrier, involving a surface area of some 30,000 m2, with the Siloxirane product would be somewhat under $250,000 t or about 12% more than a phenolic epoxy coating. However, claims Advanced Polymer, the additional cost would be recouped in four months, through enhanced vessel utilization. The boost in utilization would result from improved surface smoothness and nonabsorption of the MarineLine treated tanks along with their ability to handle a greatly extended range of chemical and other liquid cargoes.
RESISTANT OVER WIDE TEMPERATURE RANGE
In a wide range of tests, MarineLine has been shown to be resistant to 98% of all acids, alkalis, solvents and fluids over wide temperature ranges.
Quick turnarounds can be achieved with the MarineLine coated tanks, cutting 3-4 days per port call from the 9-10 days usually spent on cargo discharge and tank cleaning, claims Advanced Polymer. Assuming an average 18-20 port calls per year, the MarineLine vessel could be operational for an additional 54-80 days annually. |
