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HANSA 02-2020

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Engie Axima | Schmierstoffe | Marine-Projekt MKS 180 | Brandschutz | Ships made in Germany | Schwergutprojekt Hamburg | Reefer-Schifffahrt | IMO 2020 | Hapag-Lloyd

Schiffstechnik | Ship

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology Lubrication now more complex than ever The IMO’s new sulphur content regulation for ship fuels also concerns cylinder lubricants presenting new challenges in terms of composition, operation and supply. HANSA talked to a group of marine lubricants suppliers about current issues There are two major challenges for a cylinder oil coping with 2020 fuels. First, it needs to neutralize the sulphur in the fuel to prevent corrosive wear. For fuels with up to 0.5% sulphur content, a maximum of 40 BN is required. Second, the cylinder oil needs sufficient detergency to prevent soot agglomeration and hard deposits from distillate or blends containing distillate fuel. »In summary, the cylinder oil needs to have the right BN and increased detergency to keep liner, piston and ring pack clean,« Stefan Claußen, Technical and Marketing Director, Lukoil Marine Lubricants, tells HANSA. Cylinder oils with a higher base number (e.g. 70 BN) or mixing of different cylinder oil qualities with the same or different BN levels, not homogenously, may not provide the detergency required for 2020 fuels and excessive BN or insufficient detergency will pose a risk of bore polishing and loss of liners. The major challenge will be the fuels’ capacity to dissolve asphaltenes, which will be a much bigger issue in the future as new components could be mixed into the fuel that might decrease or disturb its asphaltene solvency and combustion quality. The right BN and detergency are key to prevent premature wear »The Base Number does not give any indication about the quality level of the lubricant, which makes it even more difficult for a customer to compare the different qualities that are on offer. Today’s standard 70 BN marine cylinder lubricants may not do the job, even existing 40 BN cylinder lubricants, which were formulated for pre-2020 residual fuels, may not,« Claußen says. To ensure optimum cleanliness of the ring pack, a new cylinder oil with extra detergency should be used rather than an old type of 40 BN cylinder oil, which most lube oil companies have phased out already. These older products could lead to excessive deposits over time that could finally result in piston ring issues and increased wear and tear, which ultimately leads to scuffing. Preparation pays off The industry has been preparing for this changeover for a long time. Chevron has seen a steady increase in the switch from high BN cylinder lubricants to low with it peaking in late November into early December pointing towards the majority of operators being ready in good time. »We have been working closely with our © Total customers on their compliance journey, and in 2019 the feedback they provided strongly indicated that the majority were switching to compliant fuels,« says Ian Thurloway, Brand & Marketing Manager, Chevron Marine Lubricants. Less than 10% of Gazpromneft Marine Lubricants’ (ML) customers decided to wait to the »last minute«. The majority started rearrangement in advance and to the end of the 4 th quarter was ready to meet the new requirements, Managing Director Roman Miroshnichenko tells HANSA. Shell has been preparing for IMO 2020 for five years across businesses. »I would say that our customers are getting through the transition very well considering how big a change it actually is and the many things that can go wrong. However, the transition is not over yet. We see strong demand still in 2020 and we are continuing to support our customers with enhanced lubricants analysis and monitoring,« says Shell Marine’s General Manager, Joris van Brussel. Lukoil states that it has not seen any last minute arrangements. In the time leading up to the 2020 switch-over the company sought opportunities for information and for exchange with customers about the expected changes. »However, even if the preparation has been done and the bunkered VLSFO is within specification, the fuel could still show some instability after bunkering or could lead to filtration, purification or combustion issues, especially during the change over process from conventional heavy fuel oils and new VLSFO,« Stefan Claußen says. Lubricant suppliers have stated over the past months that they have done their homework, ensuring compliance and operational safety. 2020 has just started and so has the use of the new fuels and lubricants. While on the technical side everything seems to run smoothly after the transition, the suppliers worry more about the human element in the equation. »As for training it is, and should be, ongoing. For example, at Chevron we run a se- 38 HANSA International Maritime Journal 02 | 2020

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology Navigating 2020 and beyond Engage us, challenge us totallubmarine.com HANSA International Maritime Journal 02 | 2020 39

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