Tech Feature: Coatings & Corrosion Control Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. By Bert Adema, Business Development Manager ESTA, PPG Protective & Marine Coatings May 13, 2026 Image courtesy PPG About the Author: Bert Adema is a PPG Business Development Manager, ESTA, for Protective & Marine Coatings. With more than 20 years in the marine coatings sector, he focuses on driving innovative application technologies and helping shipyards and owners optimize coating performance. How Electrostatic Technology Moves from Experiment to Reality   Shipyards face mounting pressure to align with the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals. As vessel owners and operators explore alternative fuels, better hull designs and route optimization to cut emissions, shipyards reevaluate their own practices to keep pace. One area of focus includes the coatings application. Among emerging innovations, electrostatic spraying is now gaining traction in global marine projects. Unlike traditional airless spraying, electrostatic application (ESTA) charges paint particles and draws them to a grounded metal surface. The result proves a more even, precise coating with less rebound and significantly lower overspray. While the technology has seen wide use in automotive and aerospace applications, the marine environment poses challenges due to exposure, humidity and scale. That perception began to shift when a group of innovators applied it to a sailing vessel designed with sustainability in mind. Innovation sparked by a sustainability challenge The first major ESTA breakthrough came not from a large shipping line but from a small Dutch shipyard supporting a hydrogen-powered sailing vessel. The vessel’s project leader, a Dutch astronaut and engineer, approached a marine coatings company with a challenge. Could they apply a biocide-free hull coating with electrostatic equipment to reduce waste and improve sustainability? The team saw the opportunity and worked with a small Dutch shipyard