Si-COAT 579 CM is a surface tolerant coating — and this case study shows exactly what that means in practice. When Hellenic Petroleum in Athens needed to recoat a 6,000m² crude oil storage tank, conventional epoxy had already failed them. The solution required no sandblasting, a crew of six people, and twelve days from start to finish. Here is what happened, and why it matters for industrial asset managers across Southern Africa.
When Epoxy Fails at the Coast
Hellenic Petroleum operates a tank farm on the outskirts of Athens, just 300 metres from the seacoast. The farm holds 16 tanks with a combined crude oil storage capacity of 1.2 million cubic metres. At this proximity to the water, salt contamination and regular rusting are a constant challenge.
In 1997, HP applied a three-coat epoxy system to the tanks. Despite correct application, pinhole rusting appeared within six months. The company accepted this as the best performance available from any coating system they had tested. They allocated a seven-year recoating cycle and managed accordingly. By the end of that cycle, the tanks showed heavy pitting and widespread rust staining. Rust blisters measured roughly 300 millimetres in diameter.
Epoxy created a second problem beyond its poor performance. Abrasive blasting — standard surface preparation for recoating steel — sent media drifting into the surrounding residential areas. Communities within one kilometre of the tank farm objected strongly to the dust and the health impacts. HP faced a difficult balance: maintain the assets without affecting the local population, all while keeping costs under control.
Surface Tolerant Coating: A Different Approach
This is where a surface tolerant coating changes the equation entirely. Unlike epoxy, which requires an abrasive blast profile to bond to steel, Si-COAT 579 CM bonds directly to prepared surfaces without blast cleaning. Surface preparation requires only solvent cleaning to remove oils, grease, and loose material — classified as SSPC-SP1.
For Hellenic Petroleum, this meant no abrasive blasting media entering the surrounding community. It also meant no hot work precautions, no water jetting, and no extended shutdowns. CSL Silicones introduced Si-COAT 579 CM to HP in 2000. Over nearly four years, HP tested the product on small patches across the tank farm. The results gave them the confidence to commit to a full-scale application.
The Project: Tank P-701C, Athens, 2004
In Spring 2004, HP awarded the first major application to CSL Silicones. They selected Tank P-701C — the tank in the worst condition and the most publicly visible on the farm.
Tank P-701C measured 43 metres in diameter and 23 metres in height. Including the floating roof exterior, the total surface area reached 6,000 square metres. CSL subcontracted Mühlhan Hellas S.A. to carry out the fieldwork under direct CSL supervision, using their specialised high-pressure water blasting technology.
Despite the severe condition of the steel, surface preparation required only a pressure wash at 800 bar (11,600 psi). The average time between pressure washing and coating application was one day. Si-COAT 579 CM was applied in a single coat at a dry film thickness of 350 microns. The total product consumed was 3,200 kg (706 US gallons).
The Results: 720 Hours vs 6,720 Hours
The numbers speak for themselves. The project completed in 12 days with a crew of 6 people. A conventional coating system on the same tank would have required 16 people working for 42 days. In total working hours, that translates to 720 hours with Si-COAT 579 CM versus 6,720 hours with a conventional approach — a reduction of nearly 90%.
The tank returned to service significantly faster. The surrounding community experienced zero disruption from blasting media. Following this result, HP began evaluating Si-COAT 579 CM for the remaining tanks on the farm and for their main installations at Aspropyrgos.
What This Means for Southern African Asset Managers
The conditions at Hellenic Petroleum — coastal salt-fog, high UV exposure, wide temperature fluctuations, and community proximity — closely mirror environments across Southern Africa. Coastal industrial facilities in South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique face identical corrosion drivers. Tank farms, refineries, and petrochemical terminals near populated areas face the same regulatory and community pressure around abrasive blasting.
Si-COAT 579 CM is available across Southern Africa through TSS. It delivers the same surface tolerant coating performance documented at Hellenic Petroleum, without the surface preparation burden of conventional systems. For full product and technical information, visit the SI-COAT 579 CM product page on the TSS website.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surface Tolerant Coating
What is a surface tolerant coating?
A surface tolerant coating is a protective coating engineered to bond directly to steel and other substrates without requiring abrasive blasting. Unlike epoxy systems, which need a blast-cleaned surface profile to adhere, surface tolerant coatings achieve adhesion through their specific chemistry. Si-COAT 579 CM is a polysiloxane elastomeric system that bonds to solvent-cleaned steel, existing coatings, and exposed metal. This makes it suitable for maintenance recoating where blast cleaning is impractical, restricted, or too costly.
Why does epoxy fail in coastal and industrial environments?
Epoxy coatings are vulnerable to moisture ingress, salt contamination, and UV degradation over time. In coastal environments, salt-laden air drives corrosion beneath the coating, leading to pinhole rusting, blistering, and delamination. Hellenic Petroleum experienced pinhole rusting on their three-coat epoxy within six months, despite correct application. Si-COAT 579 CM’s silicone elastomeric chemistry resists salt-fog, UV radiation, and the wide temperature cycling that breaks down conventional coatings.
Can Si-COAT 579 CM be applied over corroded steel without sandblasting?
Yes. Si-COAT 579 CM is specifically designed for corrosion maintenance on steel showing active deterioration. Surface preparation requires SSPC-SP1 solvent cleaning to remove oils, grease, salts, and loose material. The coating then bonds to the prepared surface — including any tightly adherent existing coating or exposed metal — without abrasive blasting. The Hellenic Petroleum project demonstrated this on a tank with heavy pitting and rust blisters.
How much labour does Si-COAT 579 CM save compared to conventional coating?
The Hellenic Petroleum project provides a documented reference point. Coating 6,000m² of oil storage tank with Si-COAT 579 CM required 720 total working hours — a crew of 6 over 12 days. The same project using a conventional coating system would have required an estimated 6,720 working hours — 16 people over 42 days. That is a labour saving of close to 90%, driven by the elimination of abrasive blasting and multi-coat application.
Is Si-COAT 579 CM available in Southern Africa?
Yes. TSS is the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa distributor for CSL Silicones, including Si-COAT 579 CM. TSS supplies the product across South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, the DRC, and the broader Southern Africa region. Contact TSS to discuss your project.
Si-COAT 579 CM is proven on large-scale industrial infrastructure in aggressive environments. Whether you manage a coastal tank farm, a petrochemical terminal, or any steel asset where conventional recoating is impractical, this surface tolerant coating offers a documented and cost-effective alternative. For full technical specifications, visit CSL Silicones.