The 17 National Standardization Bodies represented on ISO’s Marine Environment Protection Sub-committee (ISO-TC8-SC2) has voted in favor of circulating ISO 19030 parts 1 and 2 as Draft International Standards. In anticipation of final approval of the standard expected next year, Jotun will update Performance Guarantees offered as a part of its Hull Performance Solutions so that they are fully compliant with the standard.

According to Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun’s business development director, Hull Performance Solutions, the purpose of establishing these standards is to prescribe practical methods for measuring changes in ship-specific hull and propeller performance and to define performance indicators for hull and propeller maintenance, repair and retrofit activities.

“Poor hull and propeller performance is currently estimated to account for around 10 per cent of world fleet’s energy costs and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions,“ he explained. “By creating a standard, the industry will have access to proven ways to measure speed loss, leading to better decisions about hull coatings and propellers. We believe improving hull and propeller performance can reduce the world fleet’s fuel cost by as much as USD 30 billion per year and achieve an estimated 0.3 per cent reduction in man-made greenhouse gas emissions.”

The vote represents a genuine milestone for the MEPC Sub-Committee. Oftedahl, who managed the project on behalf of ISO, and Svend Søyland, senior advisor, Nordic Energy Research, who has served as the Convener of the ISO working group, expressed their gratitude to the other members of the sub-committee. The 53 experts representing ship owners, ship builders, class societies, paint manufacturers, performance monitoring companies and various research institutions worked for more than two years to reach a consensus on the drafts.

Oftedahl expects the standard will accelerate industry-wide best practices and will offer much needed transparency for buyers and sellers of a wide range of fuel saving technologies and services. “The standard will benefit responsible suppliers, owners and the environment,” he said.