teCHnICAL InnoVAtIon reaping coSt SavingS
The marine industry's minuscule use of biodegradable oils will see greater demand if operators realise the potential cost savings, in addition to the rising importance of going 'green', a specialist lubrications solutions firm claims. But with biodegradable oils costing some
five to 10 times more than conventional oils, operators will find it hard to swallow that cost difference to make the green switch, according to Germany-based Klüber Lubrication. “The challenge is not to reach a market
price that is on a comparable level than the one of conventional solutions and that makes it easy for the buyers to switch. Highlighting the advantages for the operational reliability of the vessels and the much better environmental compatibility is the main task,” says Stefan Ott, senior manager marketing and application engineering at Klüber. The use of biodegradable oils will
significantly mitigate environmental harm in case of a vessel leakage in the port area, and protects the operators from having to pay hefty fines for oil spills.
Werner Fickert, general manager sales
and marketing at Klüber, says:“Besides the green perspective, operators can also gain on
performance.Conventional mineral oils have a lifespan of six to nine months, but biodegradable lubricants, or synthetic oils, have lifespan of two to five years, depending on the application. “So the operators will benefit in terms of
lesser maintenance effort throughout the year and prolonged life span of spare parts, bearings and seals, leading to cost savings for the vessel.” In September 2010,Klüber introduced
two types of biodegradable lubricants – gear oil for thrusters and rudder propellers (Klüberbio EG 2-150) and stern tube oil for propeller bushes and propeller shaft seals (Klüberbio RM 2-150). Klüberbio EG 2-150, a synthetic ester oil,
has a high scuffing resistance to protect gear teeth against fretting damage even at high peak loads. Klüberbio RM 2-150 has good
viscosity temperature behaviour that facilitates the smooth start-up of propellers, even at very low temperatures. A thicker lubricating film ensures good wear protection forms at
higher temperatures. Both products are tested and certified to
have biodegradability of at least 60% after 28 days in accordance to the OECD 301 F Standard. Another essential requirement is the
compatibility with most commonly used rubber and plastic materials which is utmost challenging with many biodegradable base oil types. Ott said there has been verbal
commitments from a number of interested parties for the products, and Klüber is banking on the SeaAsia 2011 conference to market its biodegradable solutions to a bigger audience. “We are confident that after this [Sea
Asia] exhibition we'll see an increasing number of enquiries for our biodegradable products,” Ott believes.
Award winning solutions...
> Trade Finance Magazine's Deals of the Year 2011 > Jane's Transport Finance Shipping Finance Law of the Year 2010
> Jane's Transport Finance Shipping Debt Deal of the Year (Africa) 2010
> Jane's Transport Finance Shipping Leasing Deal of the Year 2010
> Trade & Forfaiting Review's Deal of the Year 2010 > Corporate INTL's Maritime and Transport Legal Award 2010
> Finance Monthly Magazine's Singapore Law Firm of the Year 2010
> Seatrade Asia Awards Deal of the Year 2010 > ACQ's Shipping & Maritime Law Firm of the Year 2010
Chris Lowe
clowe@wfw.com + 65 6551 9190
London
wfw.com 36 Seatrade Singapore Report 2011
We are a leading international proven and consistent track record deal experience. With the largest international ship
.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52