Ecospeed Coatings Chosen for Russian Icegoing Tug Pair

Three years ago, an Ecospeed hull coating was applied on Antarctic, a shallow draft anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel owned by Ark Shipping Company. The success of this application led the vessel's owner to order the same protection for its next two shallow draught AHTS vessels: Polar and Polus. Building of these vessels will start in 2021 and will again take place at the Atlas Shipyard in Kocaeli, Turkey.

Ark Shipping is a Russian river and sea shipping company that has been operating in the transport and logistics market since 1992. Its key cargo routes run through the basins of the Neva, Volga, Oka, Don rivers, the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas, as well as the Gulf of Finland and the seas of the Arctic Ocean.

The firm originally selected Ecospeed coatings due to their track record in polar waters. The Ice-Class 1A, 65m tug Antarctic carries out anchor handling and oil recovery duties in the ecologically sensitive Arctic in compliance with the IMO Polar Code requirements.

Orkun Çomuoğlu who is the managing director at Amat Engineering, Subsea Industries’ agent in Turkey said: “These are super ice-class vessels that require extensive hull protection for the operations they (will) undertake. The positive experience with the Antarctic made the choice for the next two vessels much easier for the owner.”

Ecospeed's unique composition is engineered to improve protection and performance for underwater hulls of icebreakers and ice going vessels, and the coating is said to be the easiest ice going paint to apply and maintain, according to its manufacturer.

Ecospeed has been recognized by Lloyd’s Register as an abrasion resistant ice coating for ships. Its correct use on the ice belt specifically permits a reduction of the ice belt’s steel plating by up to 1mm.