7 June, 2017 – Stena has signed a contract to coat the hulls of four newbuild RoPax ferries with paint that incorporates the bio-repellent antifouling ingredient Selektope®
The agreement confirms yet more full vessel applications for Selektope® whose pharmacological mode of action combats barnacle settlement on ships’ hulls by temporarily stimulating the barnacle larvae’s swimming behavior. To date, marine coating products containing Selektope® have been applied to over 150 vessels including; tankers, containerships and LNG carriers, in a series of newbuilding and over-coating projects.
The organic, non-metal compound is the only one of its kind in marine antifouling application. It is characterized by high efficacy at extremely low concentrations (0.1% w/w), ultra-low leaching and flexibility to boost copper-based paint formulations or to replace copper completely.
Tests have shown that anti-fouling paints containing Selektope® offer superior hard fouling protection, resulting in lower water resistance and decreased fuel consumption, in addition to lower maintenance costs. Selektope® repels barnacles even when ships are idle, allowing fuel saving claims made by coatings suppliers to cover the ship’s entire operational cycle.
“We are honored that a pioneer of sustainability in commercial shipping such as Stena RoRo has chosen a Selektope®-containing hull coating product for its newbuild program. Their investment in a premium antifouling product that contains Selektope® will deliver strong antifouling performance with the additional benefit that their high-activity vessels will have the best protection from barnacle invasion.” says Philip Chaabane, CEO I-Tech AB.
The delivery of the newbuild Stena RoPax ferries is scheduled for 2019/2020. They will be built at the AVIC yard in Weihai, China.
About Selektope®
Selektope® introduces, for the first time, a pharmacological mode of action to combat barnacle settlement. By temporarily stimulating the octopamine receptor, the barnacle larvae’s swimming behavior is activated and the organisms are deterred from the hull. These ground-breaking discoveries enable unrivalled power at very low concentrations, yet within the limits of rigorous risk assessments. Selektope® is an organic, non-metal compound with efficacy proven at 0.1% w/w.
www.selektope.com
About I-Tech AB
I-Tech is a Gothenburg based bio-tech company with global reach, holding all IP and regulatory rights to the antifouling agent Selektope® (generic name, medetomidine). The company is privately held and is supported by Swedish Energy Association, the European Innovation Initiative Eco-Innovation and FP7 SeaFront. The company is a member of the Astra Zeneca BioVentureHub.
About Stena RoRo
Stena RoRo is one of the leading innovators of the roll on/roll off cargo and passenger concepts and offers RoRo and RoPax vessels with belonging administration. Stena RoRo enables chartering of RoRo vessels to first-class operators all over the world and the clients are found both within and outside Stena. Stena RoRo are highly skilled and experienced in designing and converting vessels, which is combined with a unique knowledge of the market, to create tailor-made solutions for their demanding customers. This is called Stenability!
Stena RoRo press contact: disa.hammarskjold@stenaline.com Telephone: +46 31 858543
