Hapag-Lloyd has again chosen coatings from International Paint, this time for the ‘Hamburg Express’, the first of a new class of 10 container ship newbuildings from Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

At 13,200 TEU the ‘Hamburg Express’ is Hapag-Lloyd’s largest ship to date. All 10 units in the ‘Hamburg Express’ class are designed to support Hapag-Lloyd’s commitment to efficiency and sustainability by setting the very highest performance and environmental standards, reducing fuel consumption and emissions thanks to innovative on-board technology.

The ‘Hamburg Express’ will sail Loop 4 of the G6 Alliance, starting in Hamburg and calling at the ports of Rotterdam, Singapore, Yantian, Ningbo and Shanghai before returning via Yantian, Singapore and Southampton.

Loop 4 can be an aggressive trading route and the selection of fouling control technology is of critical importance. Hapag-Lloyd has chosen Intersmooth 7460/7465HS SPC, our highest performing biocidal antifouling and a true, pure hydrolysing self polishing copolymer especially designed for deep sea vessels. The product features high volume solids and low VOCs for an enhanced environmental profile.

Since its introduction in 2008, Intersmooth 7460/7465HS SPC has developed an impressive track record and a reputation for delivering predictable performance that owners rely upon. Hapag-Lloyd’s decision to select Intersmooth 7460/7465HS SPC for all 10 newbuildings is testament to their confidence in the product.

The Intersmooth name has been the shipping industry’s first choice for fouling control since 1974 and is the most widely recognised antifouling brand in the industry* with a total track record of over 34,000 ships.

For the topsides area of over 13,000m2, Interfine 878, a high volume solids polysiloxane cosmetic finish, has been chosen to deliver excellent durability with long term gloss and colour retention for extended drydock intervals.

Andrew Rayner, Marine Manager, International Paint Germany said, “Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading global liner shipping companies and we’re very proud to continue our long standing and successful working relationship with them”.