In Hardinxveld-Giessendam, a Damen DPV 1304 Patrol Vessel was recently fitted with Finsulate's non-toxic antifouling. Thanks to this innovative foil, De NT11/ Watertrapper, the patrol vessel built for the Municipality of Amsterdam, is protected against fouling for up to ten years. The ship will be provided with 80 square meters of foil with tiny spikes that give mussels and algae no chance. And that without burdening the environment.
“As the Municipality of Amsterdam, we opt for sustainable development, so that before 2025 we can sail through the inland waterways of Amsterdam without emissions. Not only are we CO2 neutral, but we also look at other emissions, such as microplastics and biocides, which come from antifouling paint and end up in the water. The non-toxic Finsulate fits perfectly with our sustainability ambition and will help us achieve it even better and faster!”.
Wrap instead of paint
As soon as a ship or yacht goes into the water, mussels, algae and other organisms begin to attach themselves to the underwater hull. This build-up increases the resistance of the ship, resulting in higher fuel consumption and lower speeds. To prevent this, ship owners often use toxic antifouling paint, of which approximately 600.000 liters are released into the environment every year. Finsulate's film is completely non-toxic and has a lifespan of up to ten years. Using a wrap instead of a paint is revolutionary, which is why Finsulate inventor Rik Breur was voted European Inventor of the Year by the European Patent Office in 2019.
“It is great to see that the Municipality of Amsterdam is now taking these electric ships one step further in minimizing the impact on the environment. The fact that the NT11/Watertrapper is being treated with Finsulate foil is a great milestone for us, the Municipality of Amsterdam is of course not the first party. In doing so, it emphasizes the sustainability ambition of the city of Amsterdam and the confidence in our application. The emphasis in Amsterdam is now on electric sailing, but we show that emission-free sailing goes further than that. We have already provided about 700 yachts and various commercial vessels in the Netherlands with our film, and a number of them have been sailing for seven years or more without attack. Beautiful right?"
Ten years or more
The NT11/Watertrapper will be used all year round in all weather conditions to perform its tasks for ensuring smooth and safe shipping traffic and during events, crowd control on the inland waterways of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam canals, the IJ, Buiten- IJ, IJmeer, IJburg, Markermeer and waters of Weesp. The vessel is 13,5 meters long and equipped with a single 130kW electric motor, powered by an EST-Floattech battery pack of 273kWh. The top speed is 16 km/h and at an average speed of 6 km/h it can patrol the waters of Amsterdam for well over a full day before needing to be recharged. This is the fifth ship to be delivered by Damen Shipyards to the Municipality of Amsterdam. The ship will be launched in mid-January 2023. The Finsulate antifouling film used to treat the ship will last at least seven, more likely ten years or more.
About Finsulate:
finsulate, a Dutch invention, is a completely non-toxic antifouling and thus offers an environmentally friendly alternative, with a guaranteed lifespan of five to ten years. It is applied as a self-adhesive film (“wrapping”). The antifouling properties are the result of small fibers that stick up on the foil. The surface is therefore no longer smooth, but prickly and growth has no chance to adhere.
