New ISO shipping standard could save industry $30bn per year
The newly published ISO 19030 shipping standard, to measure changes in hull and propeller performance in ships, could cut the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by 10% and afford energy savings of up to $30bn p.a. for the industry's operators, according to marine antifouling coatings specialist, Jotun. Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun’s business development director, said the new standard will provide a transparency that has been lacking in the industry.

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Jotun Business Development Director, Hull Performance Solutions, Geir Axel Oftedahl (photo: Jotun)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has now published the long-awaited ISO 19030, a new standard conceived to measure changes in ship-specific hull and propeller performance.

According to Jotun, which has led the industry in the standard’s development, the move has the potential to reduce the industry’s green house gas emissions by 10%, while saving operators up to USD 30 billion in annual energy costs.

ISO 19030 has been more than three years in the making. It’s seen a collaboration of 53 expert stakeholders from throughout the industry working together to develop a uniform framework for measuring the efficacy of solutions improving hull and propeller performance. Jotun, a global leader in marine antifouling coatings, has been central to the process, with Geir Axel Oftedahl, Jotun Business Development Director, Hull Performance Solutions, managing the project for its entire duration on behalf of ISO.

“This is a day of celebration for all stakeholders in, and connected to, the global shipping industry,” he comments. “Poor hull and propeller performance accounts for around 10% of the world fleet’s energy costs (USD 30 billion) and green house gas (GHG) emissions. With this standard we can finally quantify how solutions, such as advanced antifouling coatings, can tackle that issue – providing accountability and ROI for shipowners, while detailing the enormous potential for GHG and cost reductions.”

“The standard provides a transparency that has been lacking in the industry and will be a central driver for enhancing environmental performance and vessel efficiency. I’d like to congratulate all the key players involved in this process, especially Svend Søyland, formerly of Bellona and now with Nordic Energy Research, who has convened the ISO working group, Standards Norway, including Knut Aune, who has served as the secretariat for ISO 19030, and, of course, ISO itself. This is a huge leap forward for shipping and the environment, and it would not have been possible without an extraordinary spirit of collaboration and consensus,” adds Oftedahl.

The standard offers a two tier methodological approach: ISO 19030-2, the default measurement method, with the most exacting requirements and greatest measurement accuracy; and ISO 19030-3, allowing for “alternative methods” and included in order to increase the applicability of the standard.

“Jotun, for its part, already adheres to the most stringent demands of ISO 19030-2,” notes Stein Kjølberg, Jotun’s Global Sales Director, Hull Performance Solutions. “We use it as the foundation for the High Performance guarantee on our Hull Performance Solution (HPS) offering. As the guarantee concerns a very small speed loss, under 1.5%, only the most precise measurement criteria will suffice. For less demanding performance levels ISO 19030-3 is acceptable. We believe this kind of guarantee provides the perfect illustration of how ISO 19030 provides complete transparency and accountability for shipowners.”

In developing the standard, the ISO working group met across more than three years and spent over 12,000 hours refining the methodology for publication.