Ballast Tanks

The lifetime of a ship is greatly influenced by the corrosion conditions, particularly in the ballast tanks. To fulfil the demand for a long service life, the vessel should ideally be protected with a high-quality system already at the newbuilding stage.

After delivery of the vessel a regular inspection and maintenance plan should be established where any damage, when discovered, is touched up with a suitable coating. In this way it will be possible to avoid major problems almost indefinitely.

The correct and optimum ballast tank coating system is tailormade to the specific type of vessel and its operating parameters: cargo temperature (min. and max.), trading pattern, maintenance schedule, expected service life - and also to the initial investment.

Consequently, to fulfil all requirements, Hempel offers different products and systems. Please contact your local Hempel representative for advice on optimum specifications and repair options.

The ballast tanks represent more than 50% of the entire coated area per vessel, and as large parts of the ballast tank areas are inaccessible during service, the quality of surface preparation and application is of crucial importance.

Throughout a ballast tank coating job, Hempel’s coating advisers will assist in planning, offer useful and relevant advice and take care of job monitoring and quality control. They are in effect the customer’s assurance that Hempel’s quality ballast tank coatings are applied so as to offer the best protection and provide the most cost-effective performance.