Hapag-Lloyd has again chosen coatings from International Paint, this time for the ‘Hamburg Express.’ the first of a new class of ten container ship newbuildings from Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

At 13,200 TEU the ‘Hamburg Express’ is Hapag-Lloyd’s largest ship to date. All ten units in the ‘Hamburg Express’ class are designed to support Hapag-Lloyd’s commitment to efficiency and sustainability by setting the very highest performance and environmental standards, reducing fuel consumption and emissions thanks to innovative on-board technology, the company reportsed.

The ‘Hamburg Express’ will sail Loop 4 of the G6 Alliance, starting in Hamburg and calling at the ports of Rotterdam, Singapore, Yantian, Ningbo and Shanghai before returning via Yantian, Singapore and Southampton.

Loop 4 can be an aggressive trading route and the selection of fouling control technology is of critical importance. Hapag-Lloyd has chosen Intersmooth 7460/7465HS SPC, International’s highest performing biocidal antifouling and a true, pure hydrolyzing self polishing copolymer especially designed for deep sea vessels. The product features high volume solids and low VOCs for an enhanced environmental profile.


For the topsides area of over 13,000m2, Interfine 878, a high volume solids polysiloxane cosmetic finish, has been chosen to deliver excellent durability with long term gloss and colour retention for extended drydock intervals.

“Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading global liner shipping companies and we’re very proud to continue our long standing and successful working relationship with them,” said Andrew Rayner, marine manager, International Paint.