AMSTERDAM - Ship owners and operators using the Intersleek^® range of biocide-free marine coatings supplied by AkzoNobel have achieved fuel savings worth a combined total of $3 billion since the technology was first introduced 21 years ago.

More than 5,500 vessels have been coated with the company's multi-award-winning Intersleek products - part of the International^® range of coatings - helping ship owners and operators to save ten million tons of fuel and 32 million tons of CO₂. The savings achieved over the last two decades are equivalent to the amount of CO₂ emitted when 15.5 billion kilograms of coal is burned, or during a 123 billion kilometer car journey (a distance similar to 400 return trips from Earth to the sun).

The milestones are based on the savings achieved by using Intersleek in comparison to each vessel's previous hull coating system. The product range, which has the best foul release track record within the shipping industry, was the first silicone-based technology developed for fast crafts and deep-sea scheduled vessels.

"Intersleek has come a long way since we first discovered the foul release effect of silicone elastomers in the laboratory as part of our R&D process to create more sustainable technologies," explained Oscar Wezenbeek, Managing Director of AkzoNobel's Marine Coatings business.

"Since then, it has had a significant impact on the shipping industry and made a tangible difference for many ship owners, as well as playing a leading role in our ongoing commitment to making shipping more sustainable."

Following the original launch 21 years ago, several versions of Intersleek have been introduced, each providing improved vessel efficiency. Intersleek is also at the heart of AkzoNobel's industry-first carbon credits scheme, which financially rewards operators for generating less CO₂ emissions.

The ship owners are awarded one carbon credit for each ton of CO₂ saved. This effectively rewards owners twice for choosing sustainable coatings - both through a reduction in fuel costs and the financial benefits of the credits awarded. The carbon credits initiative incentivizes investment in more sustainable practices, thereby accelerating carbon reduction within the shipping industry, and enabling owners to gain from operational, environmental and bottom-line benefits from clean technologies.

To mark the 21^st anniversary of the Intersleek range, AkzoNobel is launching a special campaign. It is designed to reflect the technology's impact on the global shipping industry, as well as the importance of increasing sustainability within the sector. The campaign will include a series of commercial incentives that aim to drive continued uptake of Intersleek and, in doing so, drive further fuel and emissions savings across the global fleet.

For more information, visit www.akzonobel.com/intersleek21.