SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP
SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP TECHNOLOGY fuels, and throughout the transition security of supply for this demand was assured at our global ports«. Chevron introduced a completely new range of marine cylinder lubricants to cover pretty much all engines, fuels and operation conditions. Taro Ultra 20 for lubricating engines operating on ULSFO and LNG, Taro Ultra 40 for VLSFO, Taro Ultra 100 and 140 for engines equipped with scrubbers and operating on HSFO. »Our range of Taro Ultra engine oils are extensively field tested and approved by OEMs,« adds McCloud. Looking ahead, decarbonisation will be a big issue for Chevron, McCloud is certain: »Sustainability and emissions reduction are focus areas for the global shipping industry. To support our customers on their journey to a lower-carbon future we are looking at lubrication solutions for emerging fuels to meet future emissions regulations, such as IMO 2030 and IMO 2050«. Higher demand for low-BN-lubricants As a result of tightening of the SOx limits, the strongest impact Gazpromneft Marine Lubricants felt, was a significant increase in demand for low-BN cylinder lubricants. In 2019, their share in MDCL sales structure was only 27 %, at the end of 2020 it reached 75 % and in the first quarter 2021 it stabilized at level of 80 %. In TPEO (trunk-piston oils) section BN30 SAE 30/40 oils are the most requested. Their share in 2021 retains at level of 45 %. »Ahead of 2020, we aimed to accurately forecast the shift in demand«, says Roman Miroshnichenko, Managing Director at Gazpromneft Marine Lubricants. »It was essential to adjust the production schedule and provide the stable products availability in every country of our presence. It was also necessary not to accumulate excessive stock for less demanded products to avoid additional expenses and to offer the best prices to our customers.« Due to the new limits the Russian company came into 2020 with a brand new product line. Gazpromneft Ocean engine oils were developed in 2017 to meet all the upcoming IMO 2020 requirements. Therefore when the 2020 had to come Gazpromneft Ocean two-stroke and four-stroke oils were already approved by key OEMs. »We have also provided our customers with Professional Technical Service PLUS that was highly demanded. Between November 2019 and May 2020, the number of requests for technical specialists assistance increased by 1,75 times compared to the average, and seven out of ten shipowners ordered unscheduled laboratory tests of working oil for at least one of their fleet‘s vessels,« Miroshnichenko says. He continues, »Diesel engineering actual trends put in a constant request for new lubricants grades with extended properties. Therefore, the developing new products is one of the permanent processes in our company. We expect to provide the market with cutting-edge improved cylinder oils in 2022«. As with other companies, the pandemic also thwarted some plans at Gazpromneft. »Since 2019, we worked hard to enter the USA market and were close to accomplish it. However, we decided that it is to adventurously expanding to another continent during the pandemic. Therefore, we postponed the exit first to 2021 but as the situation in global is still unstable, we look towards 2022,« says Miroshnichenko. At the same time, the company is succeeding in Asia. In October 2020, they entered China’s market and did it distantly. »This country is very special for us, as the very first announcement of the Gazpromneft Ocean product range took place on Marinetec China forum. Nowadays we look ahead to the zero emission future. Quite soon, the whole industry will start preparing for IMO 2030 and IMO 2050«, Miroshnichenko believes. The greatest challenge for manufacturers is a question of the direction that the industry will choose to achieve the decarbonization goals. »There are uncertainty and too many fuel options on the market and every one of them will require a special product solution«. Miroshnichenko expects that in the medium term, LNG may become one of the main fuels that will be widely used in international shipping, as it is already quite demanded. »Nevertheless, we have to determine the clear line of new developments in three to five years perspective to stay relevant«, he concludes. Focus on monitoring Shell also has developed a lower BN lubricant such as Shell Alexia 40 which is specifically formulated based on the latest insights on IMO 2020 compliant fuels and taking into account of the requirement of modern engines, reports Marcus Schaerer, Shell Marine General Manager Technical & Services. Apart from using the right BN lubricant to meet low sulphur limits, monitoring and maintenance of engine feed rate and corrosion also play a critical role. »OEMs have recommended regular engine monitoring to help optimise feed rate and improve engine performance. In responding to this need, Shell has developed Shell LubeMonitor, a two-stroke cylinder oil monitoring service that can help to understand engine performance so that customers can take the appropriate counter measures to avoid or reduce downtimes,« Schaerer says. »The LubeMonitor is available for everyone who needs it, free of charge. The engine inspection feature will help provide step by step guidance to the crew by allowing them to take pictures, enter measurements and produce a full engine inspection report automatically,« he continues. Shell believes that in the near future new engines and new fuels will require new and different lubricants but also an increased focus on monitoring. Lubricants are an important component and have a significant impact on reliable equipment operations. Most machinery failures, no matter if they are maintenance, loading, contamination, wear debris or lubrication related, can be avoided by regular sampling and structured data management. »This will play an increasingly important role in the future,« Schaerer says. AW The demand for low-BN cylinder lubricants has increased significant © Gazpromneft 42 HANSA – International Maritime Journal 08 | 2021
SCHIFFSTECHNIK | SHIP TECHNOLOGY »A trusted partner makes a difference« As a service and solution provider for marine fuels, KPI OceanConnect had to deal with the IMO 2020 regulations. Boris Gronenberg, Managing Director at the Hamburg site, spoke to HANSA about the market requirements his company had to adapt to What impact did the tightening of the SOx limits at the beginning of 2020 have on your portfolio, especially on lubricants? Boris Gronenberg: As our partners’ demand for an array of fuels grows, so has the demand for a variety of lubricants. We’re working hand in hand with our counterparts to ensure they’ve got what they need to meet regulatory requirements and environmental targets. It’s not unusual for one of our clients in the Baltic, for example, to regularly sail in and out of areas with both 0.10 % and 0.50 % sulphur limits. To ensure that their ships are operating at maximum effectiveness, they need lubes that best match their bunkers. Regardless of the compliance route chosen by shipowners – bunkering low sulphur fuels or installing exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) – IMO 2020 has had a dramatic effect on how marine engine lubricants are formulated and used. The use of one type of fuel oil by the majority of the global fleet accompanied by one type of lubricant is outdated. Did you have to change your portfolio? If so, were there any difficulties with the lubricant manufacturers in the process? Gronenberg: The short answer is ›yes‹. We’re constantly working with our partners to make sure they’ve got the best quality lubes for their ships, and as a consequence, the number of products we can offer has grown substantially. But to properly understand the state of the market you need to consider the bigger picture. The post-2020 fuel landscape posed different challenges for cylinder oil lubricant use to those previously faced by OEMs. Previously, the use of cylinder oils based on a 70 base number (BN) chemistry has been favoured. However, changes in engine machinery, operational profiles and the types of fuel used have posed a greater corrosive risk in the engine cylinders in the past decade. Moreover, the operational profiles of engines have changed over the past 10–15 years from vessels running at high speed, high load to running at low speed, low load. Feed rates have reduced, and lubrication systems have become more efficient. This has created a significant impact on optimal cylinder oil use and in some cases with lower liner surface temperatures, allowing cold corrosion to form. More recently, 100–140 BN cylinder oils have been needed to protect newer engines against cold corrosion under part-load conditions for those burning higher sulphur fuels. The BN level of the lubricant must be matched, and the correct feed rate applied to meet the fuel sulphur level content. As a general rule, the lower the fuel’s sulphur content, the lower the BN level required. Choosing the right cylinder oil with the correct BN and feed rate Boris Gronenberg can be particularly challenging for shipowners navigating the shift to bunkering different types of fuel. How has the current pandemic affected your business? Gronenberg: Over the last 18 months there has been no shortage of challenges for shipowners and operators, and we’ve been doing everything we can to support them throughout this difficult period. Our team’s hard work and expert counsel have been recognised this year by both new and well-established clients, and as we announced in June this has led to a growth in our market share and volume growth of 26.5 % since 2019/20. However, when you look at the macrosituation, there are a number of additional dynamics to consider. While most of the immediate challenges of IMO 2020 may have passed, the marine fuels market has evolved considerably; with customers continuing to face unique challenges depending upon their regional transit profile, choice of post-2020 compliant fuels, and procurement strategy. The past year has highlighted that some bunker companies aren’t in good financial health, and this is due at least in part to Covid-19. Warren Buffett once said that ›only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked,‹ and with the increasing media coverage there have been far too many incidents: invoices not being paid, barges being arrested, and trading desks unresponsive. The reality is that counterparty risk assessment has become more important than ever in the current climate. © KPI OceanConnect Are there any issues, that you will have to deal with more in the near future? Gronenberg: At the beginning of 2020 and in the lead up to the new regulation, there were concerns that there wouldn’t be enough compliant fuels to meet both land and maritime demand. But the reality is that there were only 55 FONARs filed to the IMO in 2020. And, perhaps more significantly, IMO has not received any reports of safety issues linked to VLSFO since the rules came into effect. The bigger concern for our clients in the past year has been inadvertent non-compliance, and we’ve worked consultatively with them and our fuel suppliers to ensure that any bunkers we offer meet the relevant ISO 8217 standard and will pass muster with port state controls. As we approach 2030 and 2050 there are going to be no shortage of challenges. It’s times like this that having a trusted partner that has the technical expertise, local knowledge and global experience really make a difference to your operational success. Interview: Anna Wroblewski HANSA – International Maritime Journal 08 | 2021 43
