Core Trend: IMO 2025 Rules Trigger Specialty Retardant Boom

Effective January 2025, IMO’s Alternative Fuel Safety Code mandates:
 OI ≥70% for LNG tank insulation (vs. ≤35% conventional)
 Impact strength >50kJ/m² at -162℃
 Methane permeability <0.1cm³/mm²·day
Per Clarksons, global LNG-powered vessel orders hit 487 in 2025 (+53% YoY), consuming 35+ tons flame-retardant PU foam per ship. Market to reach $860M, with Chinese shipyards securing 62% of orders.

Tech Breakthroughs: Extreme Cold Meets Fire Safety

1. Jotun’s HPS7000 (Norway):

   • Ceramic microsphere/graphene 3D lattice maintains >8MPa tensile strength at -170℃ (vs. ≤2MPa traditional). Passed DNV-GL’s -196℃ liquid nitrogen test, deployed on CMA CGM’s LNG-powered fleet.

2. Shanghai Jinyu’s "SparkChain" Bio-Tech:

   • Agro-waste derived bio-methane system:
     ▶ 42% biogenic carbon, 57% lower CO₂ vs petroleum-based
     ▶ OI=72.5% (industry record)
     ▶ 90% better methane barrier, won 24 VLEC orders from Jiangnan Shipyard

3. Huntsman’s VITROX™ AI:

   • Real-time foam density adjustment cuts tank energy loss 30%, deployed on China Merchants polar vessels.

Supply Chain Wars: Bio-Methane Battle Heats Up

Source: ICIS Global Biomethane Report (Q2 2025)

Certification Arms Race

• DNV-GL’s July 2025 rule: Mandates -170℃↔80℃ thermal cycling (1000x)

• China’s CCS countermove: 30%+ bio-content grants "green ship" bonus, boosting Jinyu exports 200%

• Patent barriers: Jotun controls 68% ceramic microsphere patents; Wanhua broke limits via Haffner acquisition

Future Battleground: Green Finance Reshapes Sector

1. Carbon monetization:

   • Maersk earns $85/tCO₂e credit for bio-based retardants, driving 25% premium

2. AI-driven inspection:

   • CCS’s "FireGuard AI" detects insulation failure via thermal imaging

3. Regional standards divergence:

   • EU mandates biomethane traceability in "Fuel Tank Passport", pushing Chinese firms to SE Asia biogas projects