EVERCOOL reduces heat absorption on decks exposed to solar radiation, reducing crew exposure to excessive heat especially in low latitudes.
Marine coatings leader Nippon Paint Marine today announced that its EVERCOOL heat shield coating has been adopted by WAN HAI Lines following a process of onboard evaluation that confirmed its efficacy. EVERCOOL reduces deck surface temperatures and improves working conditions for crews, even on vessels operating in low latitude regions where solar radiation is high.
Extreme heat exposure is becoming a growing operational challenge for container vessels sailing under strong, direct sunlight. On equatorial and low latitude routes, steel deck structures can experience significant temperature rises, increasing heat loads on adjacent spaces and demanding more energy for cooling key work areas – including navigation bridges.
To address these conditions, WAN HAI Lines approached Nippon Paint Marine seeking a practical, verifiable solution that could perform under real operating profiles. Nippon Paint Marine recommended EVERCOOL, a high heat shield polyurethane coating. By limiting heat uptake and stabilising deck surface temperatures, the coating helps moderate thermal loading on deck areas and adjacent spaces.
WAN HAI conducted an onboard pilot evaluation in 2024, supported by Nippon Paint Marine technical teams, who provided guidance on coating application and temperature measurement procedures to ensure consistent, comparable results. The coating performance was then verified on an expanded trial to assess performance under a range of service conditions and operating profiles.
This step-by-step evaluation allowed WAN HAI to validate the coating performance against real-world operating profiles and use this data and evidence to inform its decision-making process for coating selection. WAN HAI commenced a fleetwide rollout of EVERCOOL from January 2025.
WAN HAI Lines commented: “The operational data collected during the trials was essential to informing our decision making. The coating showed clear benefits during low latitude voyages. After applying EVERCOOL, crews were able to feel the improved benefits when sailing in low latitude regions under direct sunlight. Our vessels were also able to reduce the frequency and use of manual air conditioning in the navigation bridge.”
Nippon Paint Marine commented, “Working with WAN HAI to develop an evaluation system for EVERCOOL was an important step towards demonstrating the benefits of the EVERCOOL heat‑shield coating. The onboard measurements and crew feedback gave clear validation of EVERCOOL’s ability to limit solar‑driven temperature rises. That evidence‑based approach is central to helping vessel owners and operators to benefit from the advanced coatings technologies we supply, providing reassurance that our solutions can drive performance across their vessel operations.”
Since January 2025, EVERCOOL has been prescribed as the standard deck coating choice across WAN HAI’s 125 vessel container fleet. The decision aligns with WAN HAI’s ongoing focus on crew welfare, operational sustainability and long-term fleet performance.
Nippon Paint Marine will continue collaborating closely with WAN HAI as a trusted coatings partner, using service feedback and operational data to advance next generation solutions for heat mitigation and shipboard working environments.
