Smooth and efficient sailing with silicone paint

By using silicone paint, Fjord Line's ferries glide more easily through the water, resulting in efficiency gains and lower climate and environmental impacts from the vessels' reduced fuel consumption.

"The silicone paint reduces resistance as the ship moves through the water, which leads to significantly lower fuel consumption. This helps us cut CO2 emissions while also reducing costs," says Ole Svendsen, COO of Fjord Line.

"As a ferry operator, it is important for us to find products and solutions that help us become more efficient. Our goal is to be a better transport alternative between Norway and Denmark," explains Svendsen.

Benefits from using silicone paint

While MS Stavangerfjord has been using silicone paint for several years, MS Bergensfjord received its first coating and sailed with the new paint for the first time in January 2025. The paint technology is called Hempaguard and is produced by the paint manufacturer Hempel, which has conducted extensive calculations and measurements of its effects.

"For a ship like Bergensfjord, this means a reduction in CO2 emissions of as much as 21,000 tonnes over a six-year period," says Pål Morten Wickmann, KAM Marine at Hempel.

"The immediate effect when we apply Hempaguard is a 6% saving across our customers. If all old paint layers are completely removed beforehand, this may increase to a total saving of over 8%. The paint remains effective throughout the six-year period, with only a 1% increase in power requirement over that time," explains Wickmann.

Fjord Line has documented a 5% saving after applying silicone paint, based on a direct before-after comparison on each vessel as well as a direct comparison between the two sister vessels, one with and one without silicone paint.

Additional environmental benefit with reduced fouling

The smooth surface created by silicone paint offers several significant environmental advantages. One major issue in shipping is 'fouling,' where marine microorganisms, plants, and animals attach to the hull. This can lead to the spread of invasive and environmentally harmful species, especially from deep sea shipping, such as sea squirts, which threaten biodiversity in Norwegian harbours. These organisms form a dense layer on the seabed, displacing native species. However, for a short sea ferry operator such as Fjord Line this is a limited environmental issue, as our vessels do not cross between significantly different ecosystems.

"The silicone paint forms a surface that makes it difficult for marine organisms to attach. This prevents fouling, and the few organisms that do manage to stick easily fall off when the ship is in motion. This is a clear distinction from traditional solutions, which contain toxins to kill organisms – a method that is also harmful to marine ecosystems," says Wickmann.

"Traditional ship paint contains biocides, including copper, which actively kill marine organisms. Over time, around 90% of these toxic substances dissolve into the sea. Our silicone-based paint technology, however, uses only 5% of the biocides found in traditional paint, and almost all of it remains on the hull," he explains further.

Fouling also increases friction in the water, requiring the ship to use more energy to maintain the same speed. This leads to higher fuel consumption and increased CO2 emissions. With silicone paint, both challenges are significantly reduced.

Simpler maintenance

For a ship like Bergensfjord, as much as 5,000 square metres of the hull is under the waterline and requires regular maintenance. Traditional antifouling paint requires extensive sandblasting during docking, an energy-intensive and costly process.

"With this silicone paint, maintenance is much simpler. When docking every two to three years, the surface only needs to be cleaned rather than sandblasted and repainted. This saves both resources and energy that would otherwise be spent on maintenance," says Wickmann.

A growing trend

Hempel has set ambitious environmental goals and has reduced its own operations-related CO2 emissions by 65% since 2019. As a supplier to the shipping industry, the company is experiencing increased demand for alternative products with reduced environmental impact.

"We have supplied this system to over 5,000 ships worldwide. We now see entire fleets switching to these types of products," says a representative from Hempel.

This development is also crucial for Fjord Line

"For us, it's about making conscious choices regarding new products and solutions that can help us reduce the climate and environmental impacts of our operations. Silicone paint is a great example of this, and at the same time it delivers positive results for our economy," concludes Ole Svendsen of Fjord Line.

About Hempel

• Majority owner: Hempel Foundation
• Founded in Copenhagen in 1915
• 26 paint factories worldwide
• 17 research and development laboratories
• Over 2,700 employees in total
• 400 paint inspectors oversee projects globally
• The marine segment (ship paint) is the company's largest product sector

Major environmental benefits from silicone paint

• Documented 5% total fuel savings on Fjord Line's vessels
• Only 5% of the biocide amount used in traditional anti-fouling paints
• Less than 1% of the paint leaks into the sea, compared to 90% for traditional anti-fouling paints
• 120 days of idle time in port without fouling, compared to 12 days for traditional paints
• ss than 1% of the paint leaks into the sea, compared to 90% for traditional paints
• 120 days of idle time in port without fouling, compared to 12 days for traditional paints