First approval from Shell

Advanced Polymer Coatings’ (APC) MarineLINE ship tank coating system has become the first protective lining to be approved onto Shell’s Cargo Handling Sheet to transport monoethylene glycol (MEG).

“The approval follows a rigorous nine-month study,” explains APC Marine Manager Captain Onur Yildirim. “The laboratory tests undertaken by chemists at APC and Shell proved that a coating can transport a cargo of benzene followed by a cargo of MEG without cross contamination.”

Previously under Shell’s Cargo Handling Sheet, which are used for vessels chartered on behalf of Shell, tanker operators were not allowed to load MEG into lined tanks due to risk of contamination. As a result only tankers with stainless steel tanks could transport MEG.

“We are grateful to Shell for giving us this opportunity to demonstrate MarineLINE’s capabilities,” says Yildirim. “The testing, which was independently verified by the quality assurance company Intertek for Shell, showed it is MarineLINE’s low absorption characteristics that enable it to transport these two chemicals without cross contamination. We tested for benzene as it is a cargo that can absorb easily into tank linings. But the MarineLINE performed robustly and did not absorb the benzene, which ensured the MEG cargo’s purity. This underlines why MarineLINE is unique in the coatings market for its ability to transport highly aggressive chemicals without absorption, enabling operators to frequently switch grades.”