Antifouling coatings and the AFS Convention (TBT ban)
Coatings that stop algae, barnacles and other organisms attaching to a ship’s hull; fouling increases drag and can raise fuel consumption by more than 10 %. The IMO AFS Convention has banned organotin biocides such as tributyltin (TBT) since 2008 and cybutryne since 2023; today’s systems are copper-oxide self-polishing copolymer (SPC) paints and biocide-free silicone fouling-release coatings. In the EU, biocidal paints also need authorisation under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), and ships must carry an AFS certificate.
Related terms
Classification society and class-approved material
Independent bodies that inspect the design, construction and maintenance of ships and offshore structures against their rules and assign “class”; IACS members include DNV, ABS, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, ClassNK, RINA, KR, CCS and Türk Loydu. Most shipyard materials – plate, sections, pipe, welding consumables, coatings, rope, chain and pumps – must come from class-approved makers, with tests witnessed by the class surveyor and a class-stamped certificate, often EN 10204 3.2. Unapproved material puts the vessel’s class at risk.
REACH and KKDİK (chemical registration)
EU Regulation 1907/2006, which requires every substance manufactured in or imported into the EU above 1 tonne a year to be registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – “no data, no market”. A non-EU supplier can register through an Only Representative; otherwise the obligation falls on the importer. Türkiye’s equivalent is the KKDİK Regulation, and Korea (K-REACH), China and the UK (UK REACH) run similar systems. Buyers should ask for the registration number and whether the substance contains SVHCs (substances of very high concern).