13/9/2021
Rauma Marine Construction has handed over M/S Aurora Botnia car and passenger ferry to its customer Kvarken Link for the route Vaasa-Umeå. Steel surface coatings were supplied by Nor-Maali Oy together with Jotun. Products used were Jotamastic 90, Hardtop XPF and Marathon IQ2 among others.
M/S Aurora Botnia, commissioned by Finnish-Swedish consortium Kvarken Link from Rauma Marine Construction, will operate in the Gulf of Bothnia between the city of Vaasa in Finland and city of Umeå in Sweden. Although there has been traffic between these cities since the 1940s, this ferry was the first new building on this route. M/S Aurora Botnia will replace the Wasa Express.
Wasaline´s Aurora Botnia is a 150-meter-long modern ship with two cargo decks. The ferry accommodates approximately 800 passengers and has a freight capacity of 1,500 lane metres for lorries. The vessel is designed to be environmentally friendly, with a machinery running on a dual fuel and battery solution. The main source of fuel is liquefied natural gas, LNG. The vessel will also be able to utilize biogas. In addition, when the vessel is approaching the harbour, the main engines of the vessel can be switched off and the vessel can operate during the remaining distance utilizing battery power.
Coatings for the steel surfaces were supplied by Nor-Maali Oy together with Jotun, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of marine coatings. Painting of the ship began in early 2020 and continued until delivery.
The coating project was managed by Ermail Oy. Ermail has been providing quality surface treatment in the Finnish industrial field for over 25 years. They have references e.g. shipbuilding, propeller equipment, ramps and dock structures.
“Cooperation between the companies went very smoothly during this project”, says production manager Jere Kataja from Ermail. “Coatings manufactured by Nor-Maali arrived on time and technical support was always available when needed. Deliveries of Jotun’s products produced abroad also always came on time”, he adds.
Thanks to the high-quality products and technical services provided by Nor-Maali, Aurora Botnia received long-lasting and easy-to-maintain coating surfaces.
Nor-Maali Oy delivered coatings to Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia. Image: Rauma Marine Constructions.
Aurora Botnia was coated with premium products: Jotamastic 90, Hardtop XPF and Marathon IQ2. Jotamastic 90 was used in several areas on the ship, such as topside and superstructures together with Hardtop XPF. Underwater hull was coated with Marathon IQ2.
Jotamastic 90 is the leading product of Jotun’s successful Mastic series in the 2020s. The product is a modern version of the original Jotamastic 87 and special attention has been paid to the product’s usability and drying properties. Product also has the top-class corrosion resistance even on areas where optimum surface preparation is not possible or required. Jotamastic 90 is approved for Norsok-systems 1, 3 and 7.
Hardtop XPF is a high-quality polyurethane topcoat. This product’s advantages are high volume solids content and curing down to -10 °C. Hardtop XPF has excellent spraying properties thanks to its optimized rheology. From the ship-owners point of view, the colour and gloss retention properties are in order as well. Thanks to its good curing properties, Hardtop XPF is suitable for use in cold climates, e.g. repair dockings in winter. Hardtop XPF is approved for Norsok-system 1.
Marathon IQ2 is Jotun´s breakthrough solution for ice-going vessels. It combines smoothness and toughness to provide the best hydrodynamic efficiency for ice breakers and ice-going vessels. Marathon IQ2 is an environmentally friendly and user safety product. It doesn´t contain phenol or solvents. Marathon IQ2 has improved application properties, it is applicable by single-feed standard airless spray. Read more about Marathon IQ2 here.
Image: wasaline.com
In addition to the main products, other products were used for special areas. For example, cargo areas – decks and fixed ramps – were coated with Resist 86, Tankguard DW was used in fresh water tanks, Jotacote Universal N10 in ballast water tanks, Marathon 2:1 in black and grey water tanks and Seaforce 60 (SPL) in sea chests. Visible steel bulkheads and deck heads in technical and accommodation spaces were coated with Norrapid MWT and the cold areas behind insulation and lining with Pilot QD Primer.
Resist 86 is moisture curing inorganic zinc ethyl silicate coating. It conforms to the compositional requirements of SSPC paint 20, level 1, ISO 12944-5 and AS/NZS 3750.15 1994. Resist 86 provides outstanding corrosion protection as a single coat or as part of a complete coating system. One of the most important features of the product is its mechanical strength, which makes Resist 86 an excellent choice for heavy-duty applications such as cargo areas.
Tankguard DW is a solvent-free epoxy coating specially designed for drinking water tanks. It can be used as primer and finish coat in atmospheric and immersed environments. Tankguard DW has several approvals: It meets the requirements of NSF/ANSI 61-2014a Standard for Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects, requirements of BS 6920-1:2000 for contact with potable water and requirements of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health for use in contact with potable water. Tankguard DW is also in compliance with Federal Drug Authority, USA, FDA Title 21, Part 175.300, approved for exposure to dry foods and it meets the requirements of ANSI/AWWA standard C210-07. Suitable for water pipelines.
Jotacote Universal N10 is a quick drying polyamine cured epoxy coating. It is a high solids, high build, abrasion resistant product. Jotacote Universal N10 also cures at low temperatures and it is designed to be used all year round in areas where fast dry to handle is required. Jotacote Universal N10 is PSPC approved for water ballast tanks and also meets the requirements of Norsok-system 3 due to its PSPC approval.
Seaforce 60 (SPL) is a one component acrylic, hydrolysing antifouling coating based on ion exchange technology. In this vessel, the product was used to paint sea chests, but it is often used as an antifouling coating for the underwater hull. Seaforce 60 (SPL) provides very good fouling protection. This is achieved through self-polishing characteristics reducing hull deterioration. It can be applied at sub-zero surface temperatures.
Norrapid MWT is a one-component interior direct-to-metal coating. It was used in Aurora Botnia for painting engine rooms. Norrapid MWT can be painted in one layer without a primer. As a one-component product, Norrapid MWT simplifies the painting work and forms a harder surface than traditional paints. Norrapid MWT is also used at Meyer Turku shipyard.
Nor-Maali Oy delivered coatings to Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia. Image: wasaline.com
