US paint manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has signed a new deal with United Overseas Management (Hellas) to fully recoat two of its oil and chemical tankers.
APC will apply its MarineLINE protective tank coating to the 45,293 dwt UACC Mansouria and the 45,249 dwt UACC Marah. Both vessels, which were built in South Korea in 2013, are equipped with 22 tanks that offer 27,500m3 of cargo carrying space. MarineLINE was chosen as the tank coating during their construction and the recoating will maintain its high performance following a decade of service. The recoating work for the Greece based shipping group is due to take place over March and April 2023 in China.
APC has built a strong relationship with Athens headquartered United Overseas, which operates a fleet of 22 vessels, including 16 Product and Chemical (PCT) cargo carrying tankers. In 2022 it completed two full recoating projects for the company, with MarineLINE applied to oil and chemical tankers NCC Messila and NCC Masafi. The work on those vessels, which were built in South Korea in 2012, was carried out at the Chengxi shipyard in China.
Georgios Mitropoulos, APC Southeast Europe Sales Manager, said: “These projects follow on from the recoating work we delivered for United Overseas in 2022 and are testament to the working relationship we continue to build with the company. We work closely with them in order to support all their requirements.”
MarineLINE has been developed to protect tanks from aggressive chemicals. That chemical resistance and its flexibility, coupled with an ease of tank cleaning that creates quicker turnaround times, all played their part in United Overseas’ decision to choose APC to deliver the recoating projects.
Mitropoulos added: “The low absorption characteristics and the highly glossy surface of MarineLINE allow operators to reduce overall tank cleaning times. As well as a quicker turnaround, it also means a reduction in fuel consumption as well as being better for the environment. Those factors are a real plus for shipping operators and are becoming increasingly important to them.”
APC now claims more than 12% of the global chemical tanker coating market with 700 ships coated worldwide with MarineLINE. Exports underpin APC’s growth with key markets, including China, the Gulf, Croatia, and Turkey.
