North Atlantic vessels to test new hull paint developed in Nova Scotia

A super slick hull paint developed in Nova Scotia will undergo its toughest trial yet in 2022 when larger vessels test the product's protective and anti-fouling properties in harsh, open ocean conditions in the North Atlantic.

Graphite Innovation and Technologies uses graphene — a carbon-based nanomaterial — as the basis for its strong, slippery and non-toxic hull paint.

Tests funded by Transport Canada on six Cape Islander lobster boats in Nova Scotia showed a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and lower noise levels.

Now, the hull paint is going on much larger vessels, including the 193-metre Oceanex Sanderling, a roll-on roll-off vessel that carries cargo to Newfoundland and Labrador, and the 60-metre Baffin Fisheries trawler Inuksuk operating off Greenland and Baffin Island.

"The vessels operated by Oceanex and Baffin Fisheries are larger vessels that move at a much higher speed than the smaller inshore fishing boats previously tested under our contract with Transport Canada," said Mo AlGermozi, president of Graphite Innovation and Technologies.

"This is so much more comparable to the larger shipping vessels that we are targeting as our key customers, since shipping fleets are most interested in minimizing fuel costs and improving their environmental impact."

The Oceanex fleet of three ships carries about half the goods each year into the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Based in St. John's, the Sanderling goes into a regularly scheduled dry dock at the end of December where a large patch of the hull will be coated with GIT hull paint.

After it goes back into service at the end of January, quarterly underwater surveys will be carried out to compare results with the existing paint.

"We believe it will be obvious to see how well this is performing against the other coating that's on the vessel today," said Matthew Hynes, executive vice-president of Oceanex.

He expects the coating to last at least three years.

"At the end of the day, it's a steel ship operating in salt water, and it goes through ice and different things. We need to make sure that the hull is protected. And number 2, it needs to run efficiently, which means we can't see any growth or fouling on the bottom."

In February, a full underwater hull coating will be applied on Baffin Fisheries' MV Inuksuk before it sets out to harvest shrimp and turbot in northern waters.

Both companies are ultimately seeking a durable coating that delivers fuel efficiency.