Shipboard AFFF Replacement: Selecting Fluorine-Free Foam Before 2026 Deadline

A regulatory deadline is closing in on legacy firefighting foam. Here's what operators should know about the shift away from PFAS-based AFFF and what to look for in a replacement.

For 60 years, Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) has been the default answer to shipboard fires. It works because of PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – that give AFFF its rapid film-forming power. It's also the reason AFFF's days at sea are numbered: PFAS are "forever chemicals," persistent in the environment, and some research has linked them to elevated cancer risk.

Regulators have started to act on this. In 2023, the IMO adopted SOLAS regulation II-2/10.11, prohibiting PFOS-containing extinguishing media aboard existing ships no later than each vessel's first applicable survey on or after January 1, 2026. In the U.S., the Coast Guard hasn't yet amended its Salvage and Marine Firefighting rules to force a switch, but the USCG Authorization Act of 2025 (Section 401) already directs responders to carry equipment using "the best technology economically feasible" – language that puts pressure on the industry to move before it's mandated.

What to Know When Selecting a Product

The practical question isn't whether to move away from PFAS foam it's when, and with what product. A careful review will raise these critical points:

• Not all fluorine-free foams perform the same. Early-generation replacements often required higher application rates or weren't compatible with existing proportioning systems, which made them a hard sell for anyone with fixed infrastructure.
• Concentrate matters more than it sounds. A foam that performs at 1% versus 3% or 6% translates directly into storage space, weight, and transport logistics — real costs on a vessel or in a depot.
• UL 162 listing is a useful filter. It signals third-party validation of firefighting performance, not just an environmental claim.
• Compatibility with both fresh and salt water isn't universal across fluorine-free products, and it's worth confirming before committing to a supplier.

A Standout Leader

As a leader in emergency response, marine firefighting and salvage operations, Resolve Marine spent five years evaluating fluorine-free alternatives, reviewing performance data and watching field demonstrations, before selecting 1% Dwight's Signature Series SFFF (synthetic fluorine-free foam), manufactured by Perimeter Solutions, as the replacement across its U.S. depots. It's currently the only 1% fluorine-free foam with a UL 162 listing, uses roughly 66% less concentrate per fire than legacy foam, and proportions with both fresh and salt water – the combination of factors that made it a viable drop-in replacement rather than a compromise.

Resolve Marine has become a marine distributor for this product and is a resource for operators working through their own foam transition, regardless of their engagement with Resolve Marine for salvage or emergency response services.

Questions about the transition, timelines, or foam compatibility can be directed to OPACOMPLIANCE@resolvemarine.com.

Resolve Marine is a global leader in innovative marine solutions that solves complex problems with ingenuity, creativity and expertise. A private company established in 1984 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Resolve Marine has commercial offices, response warehouses and equipment depots across the U.S., Canada, Panama, Argentina, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Greece, India, China, Japan and Singapore. For more information, visit www.resolvemarine.com.