ProNiCare:

Biofouling is the undesirable growth of microorganisms, plants, algae and animals on underwater structures. In the maritime sector, biofouling leads to functional restrictions and corrosion of surfaces with significant negative economic effects. Ship hulls and niches are particularly affected here. Biofouling can by now only be delayed with coatings containing metals such as copper, with known negative impact for the environment, or by using expensive materials and cleaning technologies.

Bioaccumulation of lixiviated metals from coatings have led to a series of banned antifouling products and the need for new environmentally friendly alternatives. In the frame of the international project, ProNiCare (Protecting Niche areas from marine corrosion and biofouling by green coatings and new test technologies), a copper-free, eco-friendly, cost-effective, thin hybrid sol-gel coating with functional additives offering a combination of corrosion and biofouling protection for metal surfaces in niches areas relevant to shipping, and offshore aquaculture will be developed. To achieve the development of this novel “green coating”, to test its antifouling and anti-corrosion capacity and to validate the feasibility, competitiveness and environmental friendliness of the new coating, an innovative mobile test unit and a new testing methodology will be developed within the frame of the project within two different geographical locations (North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea).

As part of the consortium, the AWI will work on the development of test methods for the effectiveness of the novel "green coating" and on investigating the fate of dissolved compounds in the environment. The newly developed test unit serves to imitate real conditions under which anti-fouling coatings are applied. Based on the results of this project, a new test methodology will be presented to the policy makers and the IMO (International Maritime Organization), which takes into account conditions that are not covered by the classical test methodology already in use.  The project ProNiCare is a collaborative effort from 6 partners including industries (ANKRON water Services, Germany; AquaBioTech group, Malta;  Funzionano, Norway; Kelvion, Germany) and research institutions (SINTEF, Norway; AWI, Germany) from 3 different countries (Norway, Germany and Malta).

This cross-cutting perspective will result in innovations capable of benefiting multiple sectors of high potential for a sustainable marine economy, like transport and aquaculture. It will provide a significant added value against the spread of marine invasive species, as it offers a new solution to test antifouling systems under real life conditions.