How Environmental Regulations and Sustainability Goals are Changing the Yacht Coatings Industry

For superyachts, a sleek, well-presented exterior is not just about aesthetics. It portrays an unspoken promise of quality, luxury, and craftsmanship. But for that glossy, polished veneer to maintain its gleam, one crucial element is irreplaceable - paint. Not just any generic option picked up at a hardware store, but special marine-grade varieties, formulated for endurance, appeal and increasingly, sustainability.

Sustainability is steering the way for the coatings industry, as painted superyacht hulls catch the attention of regulators. Shaping the future of yacht maintenance, environmental regulations are shifting how paint refits are developed, specified and carried out. Growing issues of expertise scarcity and ballooning costs add to the strain, even as expectations continue to spiral upward for the calibre of finish and sustainability in the sector. Tricky factors such as operational substrates, fixed schedules, and access restrictions continue to contraindicate these lofty ambitions.

At Royal Huisman, General Manager Stefan Coronel shares a similar sentiment. He acknowledges the need for adaptation around regulations and the growth of more sustainable materials, but also recognises it as a manageable challenge. From GYG Ltd, CEO Remy Millott envisions the advent of technical solutions and innovations that will respond to these regulations, though acknowledging a likely impact on costs. Meanwhile, Manuel Di Tillio, Technical & Sales Director, Amico & Co, highlights the yet unrealised shift in product offerings due to sustainability requirements.

These insights offer only a snapshot of a broader change across industries brought on by an increasing emphasis on sustainability. It highlights the importance of proactively managing sustainability as an integral part of major refits, where its impact is particularisable rather than brushed aside.