Beyond Antifouling — How Coatings Drive Efficiency and Sustainability
28/01/2026
Hull coatings have become a critical lever for fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and environmental performance. In this episode of Future Bound, KCC speaks with Diego Mesegeur Yebra, Group R&D Director, Marine at Hempel A/S, about how coating technology is evolving to meet rising demands on sustainability and long-term asset performance.
Host:
Martin Wattum
Head of Energy Efficiency Projects at KCC
Guest:
Diego Mesegeur Yebra
Group R&D Director, Marine at Hempel A/S
Hull coatings are no longer just about protection. They have become an important lever for fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and limiting shipping’s impact on the marine environment.
In this episode of Future Bound, learn how coating technology has evolved to meet rising demands on performance, sustainability, and asset longevity. Drawing on a long-standing collaboration between Hempel and Klaveness, the conversation explores how silicone-based coatings, such as Hempaguard, move from lab to vessel, and what it takes to scale them in a conservative industry.
Together, they explore how owners and suppliers work together to test and validate performance at sea, why total cost of ownership matters more than upfront cost, and how environmental considerations, from fuel efficiency to biodiversity, are reshaping coating design and application.
Discussion points include:
Why hull coatings matter more than ever for fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and long-term asset performance.
How to balance energy efficiency with environmental impact, including biocides, microplastics, and biodiversity considerations.
What it takes to introduce new coating technologies in a conservative industry, from shipyards to regulators.
How collaboration with KCC goes beyond hull coatings, addressing the unique demands of specialized cargo holds carrying both wet and dry cargoes.
How data, AI, and new application technologies are changing the way coatings are developed, tested, and applied.
What coating innovation means for KCC’s strategy: long-term ownership, specialized vessels, and operating an efficient fleet over decades.
About Diego Mesegeur Yebra: Diego Meseguer Yebra has a M.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Valladolid (Spain) and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (Chemical Product Design) from the Technical University of Denmark. He joined Hempel A/S in 2005 and in 2009 he was appointed to lead the team in charge of the development of Hempel’s Silicone Hull Coating technologies in Denmark. In 2012, Diego became Technical Director Marine Coatings and is now in charge of all coating developments for the marine market in Hempel. Diego is author of several peer-reviewed papers on the topic of Fouling Control as well as several patent applications. He is also co-editor of the compendium “Advances in Marine Antifouling Coatings and Technologies” published in 2009.