HANSA 01-2020

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
The »Mangystau«-fleet regularly
sails in heavy ice conditions
© PPG
Robust coatings for icebreaking vessels
Specialist vessel operator Caspian Offshore Construction (COC) turned to supplier PPG
for a hi-spec coating for four of its ice-class Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs)
The operator demanded a solution simple
enough for local application and
resilient enough for severe ice conditions.
Established in 2003, COC has grown
into one of the leading providers of offshore
marine fleet services in the Caspian
Sea. The company has an extensive
stable of offshore support vessels and offers
a range of marine offshore support
services, including management, operation
and maintenance, as well as newbuilding
supervision and the modernisation
of existing tonnage. Its owned fleet
consists of 19 vessels, the majority of
which were recently-built at European
shipyards, with a total operated and managed
fleet of about 40 vessels.
Operating in the harsh environment
of the Caspian Sea, COC has exacting
requirements for maintenance of its
vessels, which must perform to a high
standard in a region that sometimes
lacks the latest technology. The company
had specified the need for a twin-feed
spray pump in order to apply a competitor’s
product.
However, while being ready to apply
the competitor’s product, COC could not
locate a shipyard in the region with the
required twin-feed spray pump. Working
directly with the operator, PPG was
able to propose a solution for the application
of a suitable high performance coating
on four icebreakers, »Mangystau-1«,
»Mangystau-3«, »Mangystau-4«, »Mangystau-5«,
all of which regularly sail in
heavy ice conditions.
PPG recommended the highly resilient
»Sigmashield 1200« coating to
provide optimal protection from the
impact of ice abrasion and accretion.
According to the supplier, it can be applied
by cold, single-feed airless spray
equipment, as opposed to the hot, twinfeed
system previously specified. »The
coating is based on a very hard filler
composition, providing excellent anti-abrasion
properties built on a highly
cross-linked phenolic epoxy technology,
further extending the service life
of the coating by greatly increasing the
›creep resistance‹«, PPG states, emphasizing
a global track record in protecting
ice-going vessels.
A subsequent diving survey of the vessels
after operation in ice-going conditions
showed that there was no damage
on the coated vertical sides of the hulls
as a result of ice impact. COC’s technical
management commented: »Our vessels
face severe ice-going scenarios and
need the most effective protection for
their hulls. Once we carefully assessed
Sigmashield 1200 and its use in similar
situations, we were convinced that it
would give our vessels the best protection.
Additionally, its single layer application
with standard equipment saved a
great deal of time during the dry dock
stage.«
According to information provided by
PPG, the single-coat application – recognized
by Lloyd’s Register as an abrasion-resistant
ice coating and by Aker
as a low-friction surface coating for ice
breaking ships – is suitable for newbuild,
maintenance and repair applications.
Other advantages are said to be an outstanding
impact and abrasion resistance,
smooth surfaces that promote fuel savings,
an »excellent« cathodic protection
and creep resistance, reducing the size
(and therefore cost) of repair areas, »excellent«
single-coat application properties
using standard equipment (also possible
in winter conditions) and a reduced explosion
risk and fire hazard.ED
HANSA International Maritime Journal 01 | 2020
43