Hempaguard Ultima enhances hull protection

Hempaguard Ultima builds on the success of Hempaguard X7 which has been applied to more than 4000 vessels and is third- party verified and validated for its performance and decarbonisation efforts by DNV.

“Hempaguard Ultima is our most significant innovation in a decade and an important step forward in our ability to protect and improve our customers’ most important assets,” said Alexander Enström, executive vice president and head of Marine at Hempel.

“It has been designed to safeguard vessels from fouling with a unique two-layer system, enabling our customers to reach their sustainability objectives while also achieving operational excellence.”

Hempaguard Ultima combines the performance of Hempaguard X7 with Hempel’s new biocide-free silicone topcoat, Hempaguard XL.

The company says customers can expect:

• Up to 21% fuel savings
• 160 fouling-free idle days
• Only 0.9% speed loss on average
• 6% immediate out-of-dock performance increase

“With Hempaguard Ultima, a vessel’s hull is able to achieve a more stable surface smoothness, even into the fourth or fifth year of the docking cycle,” said Diego Meseguer Yebra, R&D director marine at Hempel.

“This reduces the risk of fouling after long service periods, even when the coating’s hydrogel and biocide can start losing some effectiveness. At the same time, the Hempaguard XL topcoat acts as a modulator for the release of biocide from Hempaguard X7, allowing a lower biocide amount per square metre to last longer.”