Carisbrooke Shipping: Long-term protection for water ballast tanks

Project overview

UK-based Carisbrooke Shipping required a high-performance marine coating system for the water ballast tanks of its new-build vessels.

Water ballast tanks represent one of the more demanding corrosion protection environments within a vessel due to regular exposure to seawater and repeated wet-and-dry operating cycles.

PPG supplied a specialist protective coating system designed to support long-term steel protection.

Water Ballast Tank Coatings | PPG Marine Coatings

The challenge

Ballast tanks can be exposed to:

  • Seawater
  • High humidity
  • Condensation
  • Wet and dry cycling
  • Difficult maintenance access

These conditions can create significant corrosion risks if the steel is not protected by an appropriate coating system.

For ship operators, the durability of internal protective coatings can also have an impact on future maintenance requirements and vessel availability.

Long-term coating performance

PPG reports that the coating system used on Carisbrooke Shipping vessels demonstrated strong protective performance during long-term inspection.

The project reflects the importance of selecting coating systems capable of performing beyond the initial commissioning period.

For marine operators, coating durability can support asset lifecycle strategies by helping reduce the frequency and scale of future maintenance interventions.

Protecting difficult-to-access steel

Marine coating specifications must consider not only the immediate exposure environment but also the practicalities of future maintenance.

Areas such as ballast tanks can be difficult and costly to access once a vessel is operational.

This makes long-term protective performance a particularly important consideration during the new-build coating specification process.

New Guard Coatings supplies high-performance PPG protective and marine coating systems for vessels, offshore structures and demanding industrial environments. Our technical team can assist with system selection for complex corrosion protection requirements.

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