When specialist vessel operator Caspian Offshore Construction (COC) wanted a hi-spec coating for four of its ice-class Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs), it turned to PPG Protective & Marine Coatings for 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. Its owned fleet consists of 19 vessels, the majority of which were recently built in European shipyards, with a total operated and managed fleet of about 40 vessels.
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 modernization of existing tonnage.
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 challenge given to PPG was that, in planning the scheduled dry dock coatings repair for its icebreaking OSVs, COC had specified the need for a twin-feed spray pump in order to apply a competitor’s product.
However, COC could not locate a shipyard in the region with the required twinfeed spray pump, despite being ready to apply the competitor’s product.
Working directly with COC, 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 and Mangystau-5, all of which regularly sail in heavy ice conditions.
PPG recommended the highly resilient PPG SIGMASHIELD™ 1200 coating to provide optimal protection from the impact of ice abrasion and accretion. Over and above its superior performance, PPG SIGMASHIELD 1200 can be applied by cold, single-feed airless spray equipment, as opposed to the hot, twin-feed system previously specified.
PPG SIGMASHIELD 1200 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 “creep resistance.”
A proven, highly durable coating, PPG SIGMASHIELD 1200 has established a global track record in protecting ice-going vessels, offering easy application as well as maximum abrasion resistance and damage propagation control against ice hazards on the hull’s outer shell coating.
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 was delighted by the performance of PPG SIGMASHIELD 1200, and its technical management commented, “Our vessels face severe ice-going scenarios and need the most effective protection for their hulls. Once we carefully assessed PPG 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.”
Key benefits of the PPG SIGMASHIELD 1200 include:
• Suitable for newbuild, maintenance and repair applications.
• Outstanding impact and abrasion resistance; smooth surfaces promote fuel savings.
• Excellent cathodic protection and creep resistance, reducing the size (and therefore cost) of repair areas.
• Standard and low-temperature versions for enhanced curing performance.
• Excellent single-coat application properties using standard equipment; also possible in winter conditions.
• Single-coat application.
• Easy maintenance and repair.
• Solvent-free technology (no VOC emissions).
• Reduced explosion risk and fire hazard.
• Recognized by Lloyd’s Register as an abrasion-resistant ice coating and by Aker as a low-friction surface coating for ice- breaking ships.
For more information, visit www.ppgpmc.com or call (888) 9PPGPMC [977-4762].