Marine & ship supply
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.
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.
Marine fuels: VLSFO, HSFO, MGO and the IMO 2020 sulphur cap
Under MARPOL Annex VI the sulphur cap for ship fuel fell from 3.5 % to 0.5 % on 1 January 2020 (IMO 2020); in Emission Control Areas – northern Europe, North America and, from 2025, the Mediterranean – the limit is 0.1 %. VLSFO (0.5 % S) is now the main fuel; HSFO (380 cSt, 3.5 % S) may only be burned by ships fitted with scrubbers; MGO/MDO (0.1 % S) is used in ECAs and auxiliary engines. Fuel quality is specified under ISO 8217, and every delivery requires a bunker delivery note (BDN) and a MARPOL sample.