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As shipping turns to slow steaming to reduce costs and faces increased emissions’ control measures, the process and challenge of procuring marine lubricants
has taken on greater complexity and significance, Total Lubmarine, one of the world’s leading global supplier of marine lubricants and greases, announced today.
The North American Emissions Control Area (ECA), effective from 2012, will impact 50% of maritime traffic, forcing ship owners and operators not typically operating in ECA’s to begin use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants required for lower sulphur fuels. This increasing trend is likely to pose challenges for ship owners and operators when leaving ECA’s, as lower base number (BN) lubricants are not best suited to operation with higher sulphur fuels permissible for use outside ECA boundaries.
Moreover, the use of lower basicity cylinder lubricants within ECA runs directly counter to the lubrication requirements for slow steaming or other conditions outside ECA’s, which conversely require owners and operators to run specific lubricants.
With rising bunker prices and growing charterer pressure to reduce costs, slow steaming looks set to stay. Most container vessels have cut cruising speeds from 22-25 knots to 18-20 knots, but 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.
Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18363:marine-lubricants-under-the-spotlight-with-increased-slow-steaming-and-emissions-controls&catid=44:latest-news&Itemid=64
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