AzkoNobel has awarded carbon credits to ships that use biocide-free hull coatings Dutch chemical company, AkzoNobel, has issued more than 126,000 carbon credits worth over $500,000 – the first to be awarded under the company’s landmark scheme for the shipping industry.
The scheme, launched in 2014 in conjunction with the Gold Standard Foundation and the Fremco Group, rewards ship owners who convert existing vessels from a biocidal antifouling to a biocide-free advanced hull coating. The aim is to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Oscar Wezenbeek, managing director of AkzoNobel’s marine coatings business, said: “This is a tremendous moment both for AkzoNobel and the customers involved.”“With the carbon credits programme, we are demonstrating leadership and innovation in driving sustainability,” he added.
On average each of the 16 vessels included in the first issue achieved savings of just over 1,250 tonnes of fuel and 4,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, resulting in the award of 126,785 credits.Based on the average of 10% CO2 savings, the full fleet of around 4,500 vessels currently using AkzoNobel’s patented hull coating,
Intersleek, have achieved reductions in carbon emissions of around 17m tonnes, representing around 1.5% of global emissions from shipping.The award followed a rigorous assessment of the scheme, which included validation and verification of the 16 participating vessels’ fuel consumption data by an independent auditor, RINA Services, and the Gold Standard Foundation, in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism.AkzoNoble is currently in discussions with the enrolled ship owners regarding sale and offsetting options for their credits.
