Your questions answered

How can marine coatings support bulk carrier owners?

 The bulk carrier market is becoming increasingly complex, due to aging vessels, evolving regulatory compliance, and expanding cost equations. To successfully navigate this market landscape, bulker owners and operators must make strategic, well-informed vessel efficiency investments. Whether it’s air lubrication, wind propulsion, marine coatings or a combination, getting the balance between costs and performance right helps to maximise return on investment.

Q: Can marine coatings reduce bulker owners’ exposure to emissions pricing? 

For bulkers, using a realistic EU Allowance (EUA) emissions credit price of €80-95 per tonne of CO2, the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) can drive annual carbon levies in excess of $2M per vessel. While this is influenced by fuel type, consumption levels, EU exposure and trading patterns, the direction of travel is clear. Inefficient fuel consumption translates directly into significant annual operating expenditure (OPEX) exposure. 

It is well established that fuel is any ship operator’s biggest OPEX, so the link between saving fuel, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and saving money is clearer than ever before. Saving fuel can also build resilience against future emissions costs and fuel price increases. This becomes even more apparent with more expensive, less energy-dense, and scarcer alternative green fuels. Our Intertrac® Vision tool can forecast the impact of coatings on fuel consumption and emissions in more detail.  

Q: Do bulker owners need ultra-premium marine coatings products? 

For some ships ultra-premium products are the best fit, but for others these may create challenges. The upfront investment of top-tier systems doesn’t always fit drydock or fleet budgets. If application processes are complex there may be extra lifecycle costs, for example if schemes require higher film build, specialized equipment, or full re-blasts at each docking. Finally, if the highest-end product is not needed, some bulker owners may end up paying for performance potential that their vessels will never fully use.  

No two ships are the same either. Varied trading patterns, speeds, idle times and routes all mean that what is best for one vessel is not automatically best for another. Not every operating profile requires the very top-end, premium system. It is more important that solutions match actual trading profiles and financial reality. Essentially, bulker owners and operators should seek the right performance at the right cost without hidden complexity. 

Q: How can bulker owners minimize off-hire costs when applying marine coatings? 

Off-hire costs vary, but a typical range for a bulker would be $10-25k per day, so we recognize that minimizing off-hire time and costs while maintaining high vessel performance during operations is a priority. Selecting the right time to apply a hull coating and choosing a coating that is efficient to apply are vital to achieving this balance. 

We also appreciate that a routine drydock for bulk carriers can cost up to $3-4M, depending on vessel size, yard location, scope of work and the time spent in dock. Therefore, it is not only important to optimize time spent in shipyards because of off-hire costs but also because of these shipyard fees. Installing an antifouling system typically represents only 20-40% of total docking costs, but yard costs can quickly spiral if there are inefficiencies in decision-making or application. The right coating choices can eliminate unnecessary days in dock.

Q: Will a coating eliminate the need for hull cleaning? 

Cleaning remains important but combining the right fouling control coating with an appropriate cleaning schedule can help optimize this process. Hull cleaning is often required for bulk carriers operating in and out of Australia to comply with local regulations. As a major global mining hub with high vessel traffic, Australia imposes strict rules to prevent the transfer of invasive species, adding further complexity for operators. To remain fully compliant and avoid unnecessary delays, careful planning is essential to ensure efficient and responsible operations. 

Here, biocide-free silicone coatings like our Intersleek® range offer a valuable advantage. While there is a myriad of complex, dynamic and regional biocide regulations that deserve their own focus, the simple point is that hulls with a biocide-free silicone coating are faster, easier, and therefore cheaper to clean. Being able to meet hull anti-fouling requirements more quickly minimizes disruption to operations and offers ship operators competitive advantage. 

Q: Are marine coatings only for the ship’s hull? 

No, another important consideration should be whether just the hull or more equipment needs coating. The bulker fleet is aging fast, with the average age having increased from about 9 years old in 2018 to nearly 13 in 2025 and vessels over 16 years old accounting for 29% of the total bulker fleet. As bulkers age, cargo hold or tank coatings are increasingly important to protect against abrasion and maintain the integrity of the cargo, meanwhile effective ballast tank coating is effective against reverse impact damage. 

Paying attention to these details also reduces dry dock intervals and lowers maintenance and repair time and costs. Plus, addressing these areas alongside hull coating can result in lower total paint and application costs. If equipment is maintained properly, there is no reason the bulker fleet cannot grow old gracefully with profitable, efficient operations well into its later years.