Intershield®300 leads the way

Intershield®300 continues to prove its outstanding durability in service, remaining in excellent condition after 15 years in the cargo oil tanks of the ‘Samco Raven’.

The 301,653 dwt crude oil tanker had the upper and lower areas of her cargo oil tanks coated with the abrasion resistant, aluminium pure epoxy coating Intershield®300 immediately after delivery in June 1996. At her third special survey and planned maintenance at Yiu Lian Dockyard (Shekou), China in 2011, nine of her fifteen cargo oil tanks were assessed and the coating condition was rated as excellent throughout.

In addition, very little breakdown was observed on edges, weld seams, cut-outs and scallops throughout the tanks with only a small number of minor, isolated spots of corrosion present. No breakdown was visible directly above, at or below the cargo load lines and the coating was in excellent condition in areas surrounding bellmouths and on sharp edges around cargo wells.

Mr. François Rascle, Superintendent, V. Ships France SAS, who supervised the drydocking, said, “After 15 years in service the coating is in very good condition…in fact, better than good. The tanktops are in excellent condition with very few areas of breakdown”.  

International Paint Business Development Manager, Andrew Cass said, “The condition of the cargo oil tanks was astonishing after 15 years in service. With the IMO PSPC for Cargo Oil Tanks being introduced in 2013, this outstanding performance can give vessel owners confidence that when they select Intershield®300 as the anticorrosive protection system for their cargo oil tanks, they are investing in a coating that is proven to meet and exceed legislative requirements. With only minimal repairs, the coating is set to continue protecting the cargo oil tanks for many years to come”.

In January 2012, Intershield®300 passed the very demanding IMO PSPC Cargo Oil Tank laboratory tests in accordance with IMO MSC.288 (87) SOLAS regulations for cargo oil tankers. In 2008 the product was awarded the first Lloyd’s Register IMO PSPC Type Approval Certificate for sea water ballast tanks.

The ‘Samco Raven’ is the first vessel in service to demonstrate Intershield®300’s proven anticorrosive performance over 15 years in cargo oil tanks. This follows the first 15 year sea water ballast tank inspection at special survey of the panamax bulk carrier ‘Eleranta’ in 2010, when a Lloyd’s Register surveyor confirmed Intershield®300 in the double bottom tanks to be in “good” condition.

The Intershield®300 track record now stands at over 12,000 vessels worldwide.