Total Lubmarine develops cylinder oil to future proof ships against ECA woess

The combination of slow steaming and Emissions Control Areas is making the choice of marine lubricants more complex says Total Lubmarine.

The North American Emissions Control Area (ECA), which will be effective from 2012, will impact 50 percent of maritime traffic, forcing shipowners and operators not typically operating in ECAs to begin use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants required for lower sulfur fuels. This creates issues when leaving ECAs, since lower BN lubricants are not best suited to operation with higher sulfur fuels shipowners may switch to outside ECA boundaries.

Moreover, the use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants within ECAs runs directly counter to the lubrication requirements for slow steaming or other conditions outside ECAs, which require owners and operators to run specific lubricants. Total Lubmarine says most container vessels have cut cruising speeds from 22-25 knots to 18-20 knots, and in the case of extra slow steaming, to as low as 8-12 knots, which significantly increases stresses and strains on a two or four stroke marine engine.

Patrick Havil, Global Marketing Manager, Total Lubmarine, said: “We know that ship operators are under pressure to deliver against current and impending Sulphur Oxide (SOx) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) regulations, reduce bunker fuel costs through slow steaming and meet safety standards to protect both their workforce and the environment. At the same time they need to maintain a clear competitive advantage through reliable, consistent operations and ensuring profitability. Faced with this, the industry needs a new generation of marine lubricants that not only offer significant cost savings and better performance, but are also compatible with different levels of sulphur, and the great demand for slow steaming.”

Total Lubmarine has been addressing these issues for some time now and has developed what it says is the complete solution to this two-fold challenge. Talusia Universal has been tested more extensively than any other lubricant on the market today, against both high and low levels of sulfur heavy fuel oil (HFO), and has been validated by customers using distillates and slow steaming.

“We’re confident this product will effectively future-proof all vessels and is a significant step forward for the industry,” says Mr. Havil. “Talusia Universal is the only lubricant compatible with fuel at all sulfur levels, meaning that the need to switch lubricants when moving in and out of an ECA is completely removed. Based on this, we are already developing the perfect lubricant for the 2015 market that will give optimal performance with the highest sulfur content HFO right down to lower sulfur content fuels.”

April 13, 2011