Significant biofouling will occur on the bottom of boats if not protected. Heavy biofouling will lead to increased fuel consumption of 20-50%. This results in poor fuel economics and higher CO2 emissions.
The solution today is antifouling coatings. All cost-efficient coatings are toxic to organisms making up the fouling. Unfortunately, coatings contain biocides, which are released into the ocean contaminating marine life and ground water.
The most important criterion for antifouling coating is the ability to avoid biofouling. EnCoats’ solution has proven as efficient as the existing commercial non-environmentally friendly solutions.
The biocides in today’s antifouling coatings are toxic towards marine life and ground water. EnCoat’s patented encapsulation method can lower the environmental impact with 50%.
The major barrier for more environmentally friendly solutions is cost. EnCoat’s encapsulation method can reduce the overall copper content and hence lower the overall cost compared to traditional coatings.