Shipyard Case: Reducing Maintenance Costs with Copper Nickel Alloy Piping

The sun rises over Port Harbor Shipyard, casting golden light across the sprawling docks where massive vessels—cargo ships, naval frigates, and luxury yachts—rest in various stages of repair and construction. The air hums with the clatter of welders, the rumble of cranes, and the steady chatter of workers coordinating tasks. But for years, beneath this veneer of productivity, a silent crisis gnawed at the shipyard's bottom line: corroded piping systems. Leaks, frequent replacements, and unplanned downtime had become the norm, draining resources and fraying the nerves of the maintenance team. That is, until a bold switch to copper & nickel alloy piping changed everything.

The Problem: A Costly Cycle of Corrosion

Port Harbor Shipyard, a key player in marine & shipbuilding for over four decades, had long relied on traditional carbon steel piping for its vessels' cooling systems, ballast tanks, and heat exchangers. At first glance, carbon steel seemed practical—affordable upfront and readily available. But in the harsh marine environment, where saltwater, humidity, and constant temperature fluctuations reign, the material proved disastrously short-lived.

"We were replacing sections of pipe every 18 to 24 months," recalls Maria Gonzalez, the shipyard's maintenance director, her voice tinged with the fatigue of years spent firefighting. "Saltwater would eat through the steel, causing pinhole leaks. A small leak in a ballast tank might start as a trickle, but by the time we detected it, it would have damaged surrounding components—valves, gaskets, even structural steel. The cost of repairs, not to mention the downtime while vessels sat idle, was astronomical."

The numbers told the same story. In 2019, the shipyard's annual maintenance budget for piping systems hit $1.2 million—nearly 15% of its total operational costs. Overtime for emergency repairs added another $300,000, and delayed ship deliveries led to contractual penalties of $250,000 that year alone. Worse, the constant need to fix pipes pulled skilled workers away from preventive maintenance, creating a vicious cycle: more breakdowns, more costs, less reliability.

The Turning Point: Exploring Copper & Nickel Alloy

By early 2020, Port Harbor's leadership knew something had to change. Gonzalez and her team began researching alternatives, evaluating materials like stainless steel, aluminum, and even plastic composites. Each had drawbacks: stainless steel, while corrosion-resistant, struggled with pitting in saltwater. Aluminum was lightweight but lacked the strength needed for high-pressure systems. Plastic, though cheap, couldn't withstand the high temperatures of heat exchanger tubes.

It was during a trade show in Rotterdam that the team first encountered copper & nickel alloy piping. A supplier showcased 90/10 copper nickel—an alloy composed of 90% copper, 10% nickel, and trace amounts of iron and manganese—touted for its exceptional resistance to saltwater corrosion. Intrigued, Gonzalez ordered samples and commissioned lab tests. The results were eye-opening: in accelerated corrosion trials simulating 10 years of seawater exposure, copper nickel showed less than 0.1mm of material loss, compared to 2.3mm for carbon steel.

"That's when we realized this wasn't just another material—it was a long-term investment," Gonzalez says. "Yes, copper nickel costs more upfront, but if it lasts 10 times longer, the math works out. We decided to pilot it on the MV Ocean Voyager , a 15-year-old cargo ship in for a major refit. If it worked there, we'd roll it out across the yard."

The Solution: Copper Nickel Alloy Piping & Fittings

The MV Ocean Voyager was the perfect test case. Its aging cooling system, which circulated seawater to regulate engine temperature, had become a maintenance nightmare. Over five years, it had required 12 emergency repairs and two full pipe replacements. The shipyard's engineers worked with suppliers to design a custom copper nickel system, including:

• Main cooling lines: 4-inch diameter 90/10 copper nickel seamless tubes, rated for 150 psi pressure.
• Heat exchanger tubes: U bend tubes made from 70/30 copper nickel (a higher-nickel variant for enhanced heat transfer), critical for the vessel's engine efficiency.
• Connections: Copper nickel flanges and pipe fittings—including BW (butt-weld) fittings for high-pressure sections and SW (socket-weld) fittings for tight spaces—to ensure leak-free joints.
• Sealing components: Marine-grade gaskets and stud bolts, chosen to complement the copper nickel's corrosion resistance and prevent galvanic reactions.

Installation wasn't without challenges. Copper nickel is softer than carbon steel, requiring specialized tools to avoid warping during bending and welding. The shipyard brought in certified welders trained in copper alloy techniques, and suppliers provided on-site support. "It took a little longer than a standard steel installation—about 10% more man-hours—but the precision was worth it," notes Jake Thompson, lead pipefitter on the project. "We knew we were building something that would outlast the ship itself."

The Results: A 62% ｄｒｏｐ in Maintenance Costs

The MV Ocean Voyager returned to service in early 2021. For the first six months, Gonzalez's team monitored the new system closely, conducting weekly pressure tests and corrosion inspections. "We expected improvement, but what we saw blew us away," she says. "No leaks. No signs of corrosion. The heat exchanger tubes, which had previously needed descaling every 6 months, now ran clean for a full year."

By 2023, three years into the pilot, the data was undeniable. The table below compares the performance of the copper nickel system to the old carbon steel setup on the Ocean Voyager :

The savings rippled beyond the Ocean Voyager . Impressed, Port Harbor rolled out copper nickel alloy piping across its entire fleet over the next two years. By 2024, annual maintenance costs for all vessels dropped to $480,000—a 60% decrease from the 2019 peak. Overtime expenses fell by $220,000, and contractual penalties vanished entirely as on-time deliveries became the norm.

"The best part? Our team isn't stressed anymore," Gonzalez says, a smile in her voice. "Before, I'd get calls at 2 a.m. about a burst pipe. Now, the maintenance log is full of routine checks, not emergencies. Our welders take pride in installing something that lasts, and the captains trust their ships won't break down mid-voyage. Copper nickel didn't just save us money—it restored our reputation for reliability."

Why Copper & Nickel Alloy Works in Marine & Shipbuilding

The success at Port Harbor isn't an anomaly. Copper & nickel alloy has long been favored in marine environments for its unique properties:

• Corrosion resistance: Copper nickel forms a protective oxide layer when exposed to saltwater, preventing further degradation. This "passive film" self-heals if scratched, making it ideal for seawater cooling systems and ballast tanks.
• Biofouling resistance: The alloy's surface inhibits the growth of barnacles and algae, reducing the need for chemical treatments and improving flow efficiency in heat exchanger tubes.
• Durability: With a tensile strength of 450–600 MPa, copper nickel handles the vibrations and pressure fluctuations common in shipboard systems, outperforming plastics and even some stainless steels.
• Compatibility: When paired with copper nickel flanges, gaskets, and pipe fittings, the system avoids galvanic corrosion—a problem that often plagues mixed-material setups.

For Port Harbor, these benefits translated directly to lower costs. The alloy's longevity meant fewer replacements, while its reliability cut downtime. Even the reduced need for chemical corrosion inhibitors (once a $50,000 annual expense) added to the savings.

Looking Ahead: A Model for the Industry

Today, Port Harbor Shipyard is a case study for marine & shipbuilding efficiency. Other yards have begun reaching out for advice, and Gonzalez regularly speaks at industry conferences about the benefits of copper nickel alloy. "It's not just about cutting costs—it's about building ships that are safer, more sustainable, and better for the crews who sail them," she says.

The shipyard has since expanded its use of copper nickel to custom applications, including U bend tubes for offshore oil rig support vessels and finned tubes for naval frigates' HVAC systems. It has also partnered with suppliers to develop even more durable variants, such as a 80/20 copper nickel alloy for extreme-pressure pipelines in petrochemical facilities—a move that could open new revenue streams beyond marine work.

As Port Harbor Shipyard proves, the right materials can transform operations. Copper & nickel alloy piping didn't just solve a problem—it broke a cycle of waste and inefficiency, turning a costly headache into a competitive advantage. For marine & shipbuilding yards grappling with rising maintenance costs, the message is clear: investing in quality today means saving tomorrow. And in an industry where reliability is everything, that's a win for workers, customers, and the bottom line alike.