The first of two newbuildings have been coated with Ecospeed, according to a press release from Subsea Industries. In June the flat bottom sections of a vessel due to be delivered in 2010 were the first parts to be coated. The sections are being built at different locations in Germany and Poland, and will be assembled at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, where Ecospeed will be applied to the rest of the underwater hull and the erection joints of the flat bottom.

All parts of the application will be performed by the same experienced subcontractor and supervised by Ecospeed inspectors to achieve the standards required for the 10 year warranty that comes with the coating, according to Subsea.

Ecospeed is 100 percent non-toxic and environmentally safe, an especially important factor for the travel industry and ideal for a company that takes its responsibility towards marine life seriously. Ecospeed is also an once-in-a-lifetime coating. There is no need to repaint the vessel during future drydockings as it maintains its smoothness throughout its lifetime, allowing the owner to always operate the fleet in excellent condition, the company claims.

The Ecospeed coating creates an impermeable barrier for protection against corrosion and marine fouling and is extremely durable. It is therefore ideal for in-water treatment which consists of two procedures. First a one-time conditioning applied with custom designed tools to improve the surface characteristics of the coating. This is followed by regular underwater cleaning removing any marine fouling at an early stage of development, thereby still improving the surface characteristics throughout the service life of the vessel