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White paint doesn’t look clean for long. Yet ship coatings of a darker hue absorb more heat, increase the heating[ds_preview], ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirement and, consequently, electrical load, resulting in higher fuel consumption and emissions. Introduced to the market following extensive shipboard trials, Nippon Paint Marine’s Ever Cool is specially formulated to reduce the effect of the Sun’s infrared rays on ship operations. The temperature difference between, for example, a deck coated with conventional paint system and one with Ever Cool can be up to about 28°C, with the specially formulated coating reflecting up to 80% of the Sun’s heat from coloured coatings. Requiring no special application tools or processes, Nippon Paint Marine uses advanced formulated reflective pigments to prevent surface temperature increases and lower heat transfer through steal plate and other structures. During tests on the compass deck of a Panamax bulk carrier, heat sensors recorded a surface temperature of 70°C on conventionally coated areas and 42°C on areas applied with Ever Cool. By reducing the surface temperatures of exposed decks, shipbuilders can reduce the insulation requirement, while ship operators can reduce the air conditioning/chiller load, saving fuel and improving the onboard conditions for passengers and crew, especially in tropical climates. In addition to decks, the heat resistant coating can also be applied to the topside of ballast water and cargo tank. The technology is also applicable to LNG insulated tanks to lower boil-off gases.