A volunteer hospital ship which provides care for thousands of patients living in remote areas of Papua New Guinea has been refurbished with a coatings system donated by AkzoNobel.

The company’s Marine Coatings business supplied its high performance Intersleek hull coating to volunteer group Youth With a Mission (YWAM), who operate the ship. As well as providing essential protection, the system also offers the added benefit of helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by an average of 9 percent.

“The coating that AkzoNobel so generously donated has resulted in massive savings in fuel, money and time,” said Jeremy Schierer, Captain of the YWAM ship. “Before the refit, we used on average 6,000 liters of fuel per day. It has since dropped to around 4,800 liters, resulting in a daily saving of around $1,500. This means that we are now able to allocate more funds to frontline services.”

During the past three months, the ship and its 196 volunteers have provided medical and training services to more than 12,000 patients in Papua New Guinea, across 81 villages.

“Given the massive impact the ship and its volunteers have had on so many people, we are delighted that we could play a role in making it happen,” added Leon Kyle, Regional Manager for AkzoNobel’s Marine Coatings business. “It’s an illustration of how, when businesses, NGOs and volunteers work together, we can truly make a difference to those most in need.

“Sustainability is central to our strategy and we want to integrate it into the heart of everything we do. The medical ship, with its new coating, can now reach far-flung communities faster, while saving fuel and emitting less carbon dioxide and air pollutants into the environment.”

The YWAM ship is currently undergoing renovations, including the construction of a new dentistry clinic and day surgery unit. It is due to set sail for its next deployment to Papua New Guinea in early February 2016.