Smooth paint makes ship more sustainable

In 2011, Tarmac Marine Dredging (TMD) repainted its gravel-dredging ship, the City of Westminster, with an innovative paint that has multiple sustainability benefits, saving costs and reducing carbon emissions while protecting sea-life.

It took 18 painters to apply 3,500 litres of the new paint to the vessel’s hull. This has produced a smoother surface that allows the boat to glide through the water with less resistance, allowing significant savings in fuel costs and cutting carbon emissions.

Another advantage is that the non-stick paint prevents the usual build-up of marine creatures that tend to cling to the underside of vessels and create drag, without releasing chemical toxins like conventional paints.

Keith Marshman, ship manager, commented: “With an annual fuel bill of nearly £2 million at today’s prices, and rising, it’s important that we take every measure we can to conserve fuel.”