This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 27, 2023 - December 3, 2023

Despite its position as a global player in protective coatings for over a century, Nippon Paint continues to invest in research and development (R&D) to stay ahead of the curve. With 15 R&D centres across Asia and more than 56 years of innovative research, the solutions provider is a household name when it comes to top-notch protective coatings for industries such as original equipment manufacturing, power, infrastructure, industrial and oil and gas (O&G).

In Malaysia, Nippon Paint — which has inspectors certified by the Institute of Materials, Malaysia (IMM) and the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) — recently announced a partnership with Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and its advanced materials team to use ProShield+, Nippon Paint’s graphene-based paint additive, to expand and improve the quality of protective coatings for O&G industry use.

“As part of our efforts to strengthen the protective coatings business, Nippon Paint offers a new range of products called Nippon Paint 9049 GR, which is infused with GrapheneTec+ Technology powered by ProShield+,” says its general manager Tay Sze Tuck.

He elaborates that Nippon Paint 9049 GR has been launched under a new technology called GrapheneTec+, which is anchored on the additive’s ultra-high-barrier properties, proven capable of strengthening the coatings’ corrosion resistance against harsh weather conditions and doubling the lifespan of the average coated steel. The product is exclusively designed and developed for the O&G and heavy industries.

“We hope this collaboration with Petronas will not only widen Nippon Paint’s presence in the coating industry, but strengthen its position as a TCCS (total coating and construction solutions) provider,” says Tay, adding that Nippon Paint also has a range of products that conform to the Petronas Technical Standards (PTS) while catering to new construction, maintenance and repair needs.

On how the partnership with Petronas and the advanced materials team can benefit the O&G industry, Tay says he is positive that it will push the boundaries of product innovation to meet the growing needs of the market for products that are of high efficiency, safety and excellent quality.

“By producing a breakthrough high quality product, it will increase both Nippon Paint’s and Petronas’ competitive edge in our respective markets, as well as to meet evolving market demands,” he adds.

Tay explains that Nippon Paint 9049 GR, infused with GrapheneTec+ powered by ProShield+, boasts cutting-edge technology that lowers the expense of repainting. This is because the additive is designed to deliver superior performance, including three times higher corrosion resistance, three times higher abrasion resistance and is two times longer lasting.

Through this collaboration with Petronas, Nippon Paint also hopes to increase its market share in the business-to-business (B2B) segment from 42% to 60% by 2025. This is driven by higher performance and quality coatings.

“Following that, Nippon Paint aims to enter the global O&G market as well as offer a real chance for productivity gains, efficiency improvements and innovation in this industry,” says Tay.

He adds that the collaboration between Nippon Paint and Petronas marks an exciting milestone in the realm of protective coatings for the O&G industry, particularly through GrapheneTec+ technology.

“The long-term goals of this cooperation are to revolutionise and enhance the performance of protective coatings used in the O&G sector. By leveraging our expertise in coatings and Petronas’ extensive knowledge of the industry, we aim to develop coatings that provide unmatched durability, corrosion resistance and operational efficiency, ensuring enhanced protection for critical infrastructure,” he says.

Nippon Paint is eager to participate in further initiatives and joint ventures going forward that will accelerate business growth and help the company scale, while making a meaningful contribution to the development of novel protective coating solutions and products for various industries.

“With this collaboration with Petronas, Nippon Paint is prepared to lay the proper basis for success that will enable us to grow exponentially and provide Petronas and its clients with greater value. We look forward to working with other major corporations in the future,” says Tay.

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