AkzoNobel’s marine coatings brand, International, has launched Intergard 6788, a new aluminum-pigmented universal primer developed to meet the demands of the global newbuilding market. The launch in Asia took place at the Asia Pacific Maritime conference in Singapore, with availability in China and Vietnam as key markets.

Alejandro Kim, Global Marine Newbuilding Manager, AkzoNobel highlighted: “The global newbuilding market is evolving as environmental regulations tighten and cost management remains a key consideration. This is leading shipowners to select hull coating performance levels that align closely with their objectives and operating profiles, such as vessel uptime and expected service life.

“With this in mind, Intergard 6788 is a cost-effective universal primer which complements existing premium and ultra-premium solutions within the International® marine portfolio. Based on pure epoxy technology, the primer provides shipowners and operators with dependable corrosion protection, strong value for money and reliable performance.”

Epoxy technology enables a higher solids content for the product, proactively meeting increasingly stringent global Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations. The formulation also enhances productivity and lowers costs for shipyards by improving application efficiency, reducing material loss and paint waste, and enabling higher control and film build per coat. On-site workability validation at a major Chinese shipyard has showed superior application performance compared with an alternative high-solids coating. This stable and predictable application performance helps shipyards simplify planning, reduce operational complexity and enhance shipbuilding efficiency.

Kim concluded: “Through decades of innovation, our hull coatings are optimized to enhance shipyard productivity, minimizing vessel downtime for shipowners and operators, while also striking the balance between performance and affordability that meets their needs and supports the industry’s sustainability goals. Shipowners and operators recognize paint as a clear efficiency technology and identifying the right coatings solution for each vessel is a smart strategy to improve vessel performance, enhance sustainability, and extend earnings potential and asset life.”

Asia continues to be the largest producer of new build vessels. According to recent Clarksons Global Shipbuilding Review data, Chinese shipyards secured a significant 63% market share for new ships in 2025 by compensated gross tonnage (CGT). Chinese yards received orders totalling 35.37 million CGT (1421 vessels), while total global orders equalled 56.43 million CGT (2,036 vessels). Meanwhile Vietnam, alongside other growing Asian economies, continues to expand as a shipbuilding hub and is now ranked the world’s 7th largest shipbuilding nation.

Newbuilding application at a Chinese shipyard. (Source: AkzoNobel)