- August 11, 2020
- 11:05 pm
Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT) Awarded Contract by Transport Canada to Work on a $2.4 Million (CAD) Project
Halifax, Canada, August 12, 2020 — Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT) is happy to announce that it has been awarded a contract to work on a project valued at $2,400,000 by Transport Canada to investigate a new technology to help reduce the underwater noise and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) produced by marine vessels.
Marine mammals and fish use hearing as their primary sense and are highly dependent upon sound for navigation, communication, finding food, reproduction, and hazard detection. Underwater noise has steadily been increasing in the ocean environment since the 1950s and is impacting marine fauna. The project will examine means and ways to reduce both underwater noise and GHG emissions from small inshore fishing boats which are very common in Atlantic Canada and typically affect the coastal soundscape. GIT is involved with First Nations organizations on this project to test its marine coating innovations on Indigenous-owned and operated vessels.
The anticipated benefits from this project are a significant reduction in small boat noise levels along with improved efficiency as a result of the application of the graphene-based marine coating, XGIT™ on the shipping hull and propeller of select vessels.
GIT has also partnered with Lloyd’s Register (LR) to facilitate the project. LR is a global professional services organisation with more than 260 years of experience in engineering and technology solutions that improve the safety and performance of complex, critical infrastructure and supply chains.
LR’s main roles are to provide independent assessment of underwater noise, fuel and GHG emissions; undertake regular surveys of the fishing boats throughout the study; and, provide general advisory services on the project.
Going forward, GIT and LR will actively explore other opportunities across the marine transportation sectors, specifically around emissions and noise.
Key Facts
- GIT will be validating the technologies to better understand the effects of underwater noise and the reduction in GHG emissions with GIT’s innovative marine coating product line, XGIT™.
- This project aims to revolutionize the shipping industry, improve GHG emissions (target 40%), and to reduce underwater noise by prioritizing vessels such as ferries, tugs, fishing vessels and whale watching vessels.
- Results from GIT’s study will be used for a community awareness program on best operational practices to reduce underwater noise and GHG emissions.
- Ambient noise levels in the open ocean increased by a factor of two (specifically 3.3dB) per decade from 1950-2007 due to commercial shipping activity linked to global economic growth.
About Transport Canada
Transport Canada is responsible for transportation policies and programs – promoting safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation.
The Government of Canada recently implemented the Quiet Vessel Initiative, which is testing and evaluating the most promising technologies, vessel designs, retrofits and operational practices to reduce underwater vessel noise. The Initiative is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to protecting the marine environment, and supporting the recovery of vulnerable marine mammals.
About Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT)
As Canada’s leading graphene protective coatings company, GIT is focused on using graphene to deliver solutions for a wide range of applications, including marine transportation. Our smart coatings technologies aim to tackle and solve complex issues by being part of the solution, with the end goal of solving the environmental crisis and saving money for the shipping industry.
About Lloyd’s Register (LR)
LR started out in 1760 as a marine classification society. Today, they are one of the world’s leading providers of professional services for engineering and technology in over 75 countries. The profits they generate fund the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a charity which supports science and engineering-related research, education and public engagement around everything they do.
They provide classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine and offshore industry, helping their clients design, construct and operate their assets to the highest levels of safety and performance, using their expertise and over 260 years’ experience to deliver the smart solution for everyone.
GIT and LR are members of Green Marine, an environmental certification program for the North American marine industry