Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)

CRAB is co-ordinated by Peter Willemsen from TNO. He is a marine biologist and has been involved in (anti)fouling research since 1990. He currently is a Senior Project Manager at TNO, responsible for research on novel antifouling technologies directed towards various end-user applications, such as shipping, oceanographic instruments and aquaculture. He previously worked for 6 years in Jotun AS, a major antifouling coating producer.

Antifouling for shipping is of great economic importance. The worldwide ban on the use of organotin-based antifouling agents and increasing pressure on currently used copper based antifoulings makes research into alternatives necessary and challenging. Antifouling protection is also important in applications where normal antifouling coatings are less suitable such as aquaculture, offshore, oceanographic instrumentation, and heat exchangers. The Antifouling group has extensive experience in developing and implementing tailor-made solutions for such applications.
For decades, TNO's Antifouling group has played a prominent role worldwide in the field of antifouling research (http://www.ind.tno.nl/en/product/antifouling.html).

Its main antifouling activities in a nutshell:

Development of alternative antifouling techniques, based on either chemical strategies, such as natural products, organic biocides and proteins, or physical strategies, such as fouling-release coatings, “spiky coatings”, UV protection, water-jetting and electrochemical techniques.
Bioassays with major fouling organisms such as barnacle, algae and bacteria for whole-year testing.
Efficacy testing through raft exposure.
Erosion rate assessment and accelerated ageing using rotors.
Mechanical cleaning of vessels.
Legislation and environmental aspects of antifouling products.

Peter Willemsen
TNO Science and Industry
PO box 505
1780 AM Den Helder
+31-223-638850
Peter.willemsen@tno.nl
www.tno.nl