An Eco-friendly Coating for Vessels
KCC announced on March 10 that it will apply a solvent-free coating to a 325,000-ton very large ore carrier (VLOC) that Hyundai Heavy Industries will build for Polaris Shipping.
KCC said that the solvent-free coating can prevent air pollution and environmental pollution. As the coating does not contain organic solvents, it can lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions to the atmosphere. It also reduces the risk of accidents such as choking, explosions and fires that can occur when painting work is done in a closed area. In addition, users of this coating can create coatings of various thicknesses by coating an object only once, which enhances the efficiency of shipbuilding.
KCC expects its eco-friendly solvent-free paints to become a standard at shipyards in Korea. The Ministry of Environment announced a revision to the enforcement regulations of the Atmospheric Environment Conservation Act in December 2019.
The amendment requires the installation of air pollution prevention facilities or the use of eco-friendly solvent-free paints above a certain percentage, when painting a ship. The Korean government is planning to raise the percentage of solvent-free paints to 60 percent by 2024 from 20 percent in 2020.