Yes — ultrasonic antifouling can be used on LNG carrier or FSRU seawater cooling when ATEX/IECEx zone-matched equipment is documented; Lamers System Care does not publish ATEX or IECEx certificates for SMART FLOW on lscare.nl, so request the hazardous-area status in writing with your cooler layout. SMART FLOW is Lamers System Care’s ultrasonic antifouling for commercial seawater cooling surfaces (box coolers, sea chests and related metal structure), bonded dry-side with industrial epoxy and monitored via the SMART FLOW Portal; Ex approval is a separate certification question, not something to assume from a standard maritime page.
Short answer: ultrasound can protect seawater cooling — Ex certification is the gate
FSRU and LNG seawater systems often place transducers or panels in classified zones. News cases show vendors installing ATEX/IECEx-approved ultrasonic kits on FSRU seawater piping, filters, heat exchangers and condensers. That proves the application class exists in the market; it does not mean every ultrasonic brand is certified for Zones 0/1/2. For SMART FLOW, ask Lamers System Care for the applicable certificates (or an explicit statement that a given layout must stay outside Ex zones / use third-party Ex enclosures).
Decision checklist for LNG / FSRU projects
- Zone map first: which compartments are Zone 0, 1 or 2, and where the control unit may sit.
- Scope of seawater plant: main circulating seawater, filters, heat exchangers, condensers, cooler covers — each location may differ.
- Documentation pack: request certificates, marking, cable glands and enclosure type with the SMART FLOW offerte.
- Do not invent compliance: if Lamers System Care cannot supply matching Ex documentation for a location, that location needs another approved solution or a non-Ex mounting strategy agreed with class/owner.
- Certificate ≠ vessel suitability: an ATEX paper alone does not prove a product is right for a specific LNG carrier layout — zone map, enclosure, glands and class rules still decide (industry caution echoed on waromgroup.com in the 2026-10-13 SERP).
| Source | What they publish | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AGCC / Sonihull (NFE Energos Winter FSRU) | ATEX and IECEx approved ultrasonic systems installed on New Fortress Energy’s FSRU Energos Winter; seawater circulating system, pipeline, filters, heat exchangers and turbo-generator condensers; hazardous-zone transducers with control panels in Ex d enclosures | Vendor/news case — not an LSC install |
| Framo Sonihull | “Easy engineering and installation – ATEX and IECEx approved”; Sonihull Xtreme transducers described for explosive Zones 0, 1 and 2; control units for Zones 1 and 2 (vendor pages/brochure) | Vendor certification claim |
| HANSA (Hasytec FSRU approval, 16 Jul 2024) | Hasytec described as receiving approval to use an ultrasonic antifouling system on an FSRU; article states ATEX was previously the missing prerequisite | Trade press — Hasytec claim |
| vesselperformance.info (Sonihull ATEX, 9 May 2019) | Reports early US antifouling ATEX approval narrative for Sonihull | Trade/news — competitor history, not LSC |
Frequently asked questions
Is SMART FLOW ATEX or IECEx certified?
Lamers System Care does not publish ATEX/IECEx certificates for SMART FLOW on lscare.nl. Request the hazardous-area status in writing with your offerte.
Can ultrasonic antifouling protect FSRU seawater cooling at all?
Market cases show certified ultrasonic systems used on FSRU seawater plant. Whether SMART FLOW can be used in a specific Ex zone depends on the certificates and enclosure strategy Lamers System Care can supply for that project.
What should an owner send with the enquiry?
Zone drawings, cooler/sea-chest layout, preferred mounting side (dry), and class/owner Ex requirements. Lamers System Care can then say what SMART FLOW documentation covers — and what it does not.
Contact
Call +31 (0) 413 275 647 or email info@lscare.nl. More at lscare.nl.
