If you stood on the deck of a ship on a hot summer afternoon, you could almost fry an egg on steel plating. This heat is not only uncomfortable for the crew, but may also cook the cargo below.
It turns out that a surprising amount of this thermal problem is related to something that most tanker operators hardly think about – “deck color” and “deck temperature”.
According to a very interesting LinkedIn post by marine engineer Michael Kvasnikov, this “simple” layer could be the difference between saving millions of dollars in crude oil or watching it evaporate into thin air.
Paint on your ship’s deck can cost you dearly
As he explains, Many ships still operate with deck paint systems that are decades out of date.
This old-school approach comes with an unexpected price tag. Michael points out that a VLCC can lose 200-300 cubic meters of crude oil on a long voyage simply due to evaporation through the ventilation system.
He emphasizes that these losses are related to the amount of heat transfer through the deck to the cargo tanks.
In other words, color is not merely cosmetic, but affects cargo mass, temperature, vapor pressure, and frequency of discharge events.
How color changes everything
Michael highlights something the industry rarely talks about: “The color and quality of your deck paint has a huge impact on evaporation loss.”
Different colors absorb different levels of heat and when the heat reaches the tank, the vapor pressure increases and the tanks are emptied.
No warning, no drama, just the crude oil quietly disappearing.
Here Michael summarizes the actual behavior of common deck colors:
dark green – The traditional choice, but also the worst offender.. points out that it “absorbs a lot of heat” It often raises the temperature of the deck to 70-80 degrees Celsius under strong sunlight.
Red/brown oxide – A slight improvement, but, in Michael’s words, it is It does not move the needle much. It still absorbs considerable heat.
light gray This is where results become measurable. Operators can typically expect deck temperatures 10-15°C cooler with darker coatings.
Whitish/very light shades – Michael points out that these “Make a Big Difference” It often keeps decks between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius cooler, providing ideal performance for heat-sensitive routes or cargo.
Modern reflective / ceramic coatings – Outstanding performance.. These coatings can reduce deck temperatures by 25-30 degrees Celsius or more. They already cost more, but as he observes, “Savings in cargo losses can be quickly recouped, especially in VLCCs and ULCCs.”
Missed opportunity
Michael breaks it down to one point:
“It’s not just paint. It’s operational efficiency, safety and sustainability all in one simple decision that many operators overlook.”
Understanding the characteristics of the crude oil being transported and adapting the deck coating accordingly allows operators to significantly reduce evaporation losses.
His conclusion is a quiet but powerful call to action:
“If you understand the characteristics of your crude oil and upgrade your deck coverage accordingly, you can significantly reduce your evaporation losses.”
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