SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP
SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP TECHNOLOGY New fuels will require new lubricants The IMO’s new limits for SOx emissions have been in force for more than one and a half years. HANSA spoke to a group of lubricant suppliers about the effects the tightening of the limits has on their product portfolio and the challenges they have to face now carbon intensity by 2030 and a 70 % reduction by 2050, both compared with 2008 levels. The marine fuels landscape will continue to evolve: »The challenge for us is to formulate lubricants that provide adequate protection in what may be a highly complex environment. To help maintain peace of mind it will also be vital to use real-time digital tools to ensure satisfactory engine health,« Chatzakis says. One such example is Mobil Serv Cylinder Condition Monitoring, a programme that monitors onboard engine health through scrapedown oil analysis. The insights it provides can help optimise feed rates and prevent costly downtime. IMO 2020 was just the start of wide-ranging changes The strict limits for the emission of sulphur oxides, which were introduced at the beginning of 2020, posed challenges for the lubricant industry. This was joined by corona virus. Suppliers had to adapt to the new requirements. And the future, which will be about decarbonising shipping, also continues to hold challenges for them. No room for errors For Yannis Chatzakis, ExxonMobil’s Global Aviation & Marine Field Engineering Manager »the IMO’s 2020 sulphur cap was unprecedented in scale and scope«. »Crucially, there was no room for errors – come 1 January 2020, everything had to be in place,« Chatzakis says. For ExxonMobil it was clear that the new generation of IMOcompliant fuel grades would need new cylinder oil formulations. As a result, the company developed Mobilgar 540, a 40BN lubricant specifically designed for two-stroke marine diesel engines running on 0.50% sulphur fuels. »We conducted extensive trials and field tests to ensure it provided the right balance of detergency and acid neutralisation to maintain trouble-free engine operation. We also offer Mobilgard M20 Series 4-stroke oils, which are suitable for use with low sulphur fuel options, including LNG«, Chatzakis says. © ExxonMobil Engine deposit as key issue According to Total Lubmarine the 0. 5% sulphur cap ushered in a range of 0.5 % sulphur fuel oil blends with varying viscosity, density, and pour points. The findings of last year’s Fuel Oil Quality and Safety Survey published by Bimco, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intercargo and Intertanko, as well as engine makers, found engine deposit build up to be a key issue. »Engine cleanliness is now essential in this new operating regime. Fouling and deposits can impact engine efficiency and risk malfunction which often leads to more serious problems down the line,« says Serge Dal Farra, Global Marketing Manager Marine for Lubmarine, TotalEnergies. As the industry explores the options for meeting the IMO’s greenhouse gas emission reduction ambitions, »more new fuels will come into play«. According to Total Lubmarine, creating compatible lubricants that compensate for these varying specifications is critical to ensure vessel operators avoid engine fouling and costly repairs. Dal Farra says: »LNG as a marine fuel is a good More global change to come The lubricants supplier is sure, that IMO 2020 was just the start of wide-ranging change to global vessel operations. The IMO has since set out its ambitions for a quantitative fall in marine industry greenhouse gas emission; a reduction of at least 50 % by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. It also envisions a 40 % reduction in © Total Lubmarine Engine cleanliness is essential 40 HANSA – International Maritime Journal 08 | 2021
SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP TECHNOLOGY example of this. Conditions for a cylinder oil when used while burning LNG as a marine fuel in gas mode, undergo significantly more thermal stress than in liquid fuel mode. It is one of the reasons why we are focused on ensuring all our customers use lubricants and monitoring tools that deliver optimal engine cleanliness and performance«. »We’ve been ahead of the curve in our product development. Working with OEMs on very demanding tests protocols, we have qualified products which are developed using a unique chemistry that helps the neutralization process and the control of engine deposit growth in the pistons, rings, and liners,« Serge Dal Farra says. He reports that in November 2020 Total Lubmarine qualified the industry’s single cylinder oil solution for all IMO 2020 compliant fuels, including LNG in dual-fuel (DF) mode. Called Talusia Universal (57 BN, SAE 50) it has received a revised No Objection Letter (NOL) from Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) adding DF Validation for the WinGD range of DF engines and confirms the validation across the full range of WinGD engines (including legacy Sulzer engines), comprising more than 8,000 hours in field tests and 4,000 hours performed onboard a vessel with a 6X62DF engine burning LNG. It follows the previously awarded NOL by MAN ES earlier in 2020 after field tests were successfully completed on several MAN B&W engines, including 10K98MC-C6, 12K98MC-C6, 12K98ME-C7 and 6S70ME-C7 engines. »It represents a major advancement for industry with a single cylinder oil solution for the lubrication of modern 2-stroke diesel and DF engines using IMO 2020 and ECA compliant fuels, including those operators making the switch to LNG to help reduce SOx, NOx and fine particle emissions,« Dal Farra concludes. © Chevron Curious but prepared As many other suppliers, Chevron Marine Lubricants were curious for 2020, but well prepared. »We were ahead of the curve in addressing the impact of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap on cylinder lubrication, launching Taro Ultra engine oils that cover a range of BN grades, enabling flexibility for operators steaming in and out of ECA zones and running on a range of emerging alternative fuels as well as VLSFO and HSFO,« says Pat McCloud, GM Europe & Global Marine Lubricants. »We were accurate in our prediction that the majority of ships would require a 40 BN grade product«, he continues, »seeing a shift from higher BN numbers associated with higher sulphur Think LUKOIL! LUKOIL Marine Lubricants Germany GmbH Phone: +49 40 180 4220 0 luboilorder@lukoil.com www.lukoilmarine.com HANSA – International Maritime Journal 08 | 2021 41
