Perfect Recipe

Maintaining the mechanical lifeblood of marine propulsion and auxiliary systems is a tough task fraught with many complications.

Imagine hosting a perfect dinner with an international and multicultural guest list. In the same way that a dinner host will run the gauntlet trying to accommodate everyone from vegans to paleo dieters, the business of providing nourishing fuel to not only maintain but extend the life of vessel equipment is just as complicated.

Shipowners must account for the environmental requirements of IMO 2020 along with the more stringent requirements of localized regions like the U.S. West Coast. They must also somehow mitigate the effects of preferred blends containing FAME (fatty acid methyl esters) on engine life and fuel economy. They’re caught between a rock and a hard place when required to use blends that meet emissions requirements but are not healthy for equipment or cause inefficiencies in performance, leaving them to ponder how to comply and still honor their SEEMP (ship energy efficiency management plan). 

The successful shipowner is able to accomplish this balancing act with the help of an optimal mix of additives and lubricants. Companies like Chevron, Innospec and Gulf Marine are key to overcoming the shipowner’s dilemma – and serving up the perfect recipe. 

Industry Stalwart

It comes as no surprise that the shipping industry counts on Chevron. Four years into IMO 2020, Chevron’s TARO Ultra 40® is the most popular of its marine lubricant products – validated by MAN Energy Solutions and WinGD, among others, for the proven performance benefits of engine protection, compatibility with various cylinder lubricants and stability with respect to long-term storage when at ambient temperature.

Chevron is looking ahead to IMO’s 2050 goal of net zero emissions and believes the answer will in part be found through a mixture of current and emerging fuel sources such as LNG, ammonia and biofuels like Chevron’s InfiniD™. It’s fully cognizant that bringing new fuels to market will require changes throughout the supply chain infrastructure.

The goal is to have solutions available for marine engines to operate on all fuels including ammonia, methanol, LNG and renewable sources – an achievable goal for Chevron considering the experience and history it has in providing lubricating oil for LNG engines and methanol.

The company strives to be an industry leader when it comes to sourcing and producing lower-carbon energy. It recognizes that this means more than just growing its capabilities in renewable fuels and is leveraging its expertise to advance carbon capture technologies and invest in emerging, lower-carbon technologies like hydrogen.

“Chevron’s goal is to help develop the affordable, reliable, ever-changing energy that enables human progress,” says Ayten Yavuz, General Manager of Global Marine Lubricants. “In 2024 we plan to move our energy transition ambition forward to help make progress on the milestones we have set.  Considering the marine business, we will continue to stay on top of fuel and new technology developments, especially around engine innovation, so we’ll work with customers and partners to share learnings. And, of course, we’ll continue to deliver exceptional customer service, which we are immensely proud of, building on our vast global network and presence in about 700 ports around the world to help ensure security of supply in a changing marketplace.”

Lubrication Enabler

Since 2008, Gulf Marine has been growing its network to supply marine lubricants in over 1,000 global ports. Its product, GulfSea Cylcare XP 5040 (a CAT II 40BN cylinder oil), contains oxidization resistance properties and combats the sludge and deposits common with low-sulfur fuels – a highly critical product performance requirement post IMO 2020.

As shipowners actively evaluate the transition to low-carbon alternative fuels, Gulf Marine’s CAT II 40 BN cylinder oil can serve as an effective lubrication enabler.

The company is closely monitoring industry developments relating to decarbonization and eventually zero emissions and continuously investigating the impact of new alternative fuels like biofuels, ammonia and methanol on machinery to understand (and reformulate) the chemistries of their lubricants to help to enhance engine longevity and efficiency.

Sustainability is ingrained in Gulf Marine’s core values, serving as a driving force behind its work. Sustainability initiatives include reducing plastic packaging for its products, decreasing the carbon intensity of its supply vessels through energy enhancements via retrofits and adoption of renewable energy at its main production plant in Singapore.

Gulf Marine’s R&D work also focuses on circularity – the re-use of used engine oils –  which has significant carbon footprint benefits since used oils are typically burnt off in incinerators. The company conducts extensive product performance tests for lubricants using re-refined base oils.

Dynamic Solutions

The dilemma of balancing ever-changing emissions requirements may have gotten easier with exciting news from Innospec, a company globally recognized for specialty chemicals that began operations in 1938. 

Since its inception 86 years ago, the Innospec team has followed a fundamental philosophy of “finding dynamic and productive solutions to suit the customer’s needs.” Combining this philosophy with a “nose to the grindstone” work ethic and accurate foresight, Innospec has owned and established various chemical companies throughout Europe and the U.S. 

Today, Innospec chemicals serve industries of all kinds including marine fuels, oilfield services and personal care as well as polymers. It’s an organization rich in the resources of human intellect.

Octamar is its best-selling marine product brand. Ship operators count on Octamar HF10 PLUS for specialist treatment stabilization of very low sulfur fuel oils (VLSFO) as well as Octamar Ultra HF to add the same level of protection with the added benefits of providing catalysts for ignition, combustion and soot, resulting in up to a 3.9 percent fuel savings and overall improvement in energy efficiency.

Additionally, Innospec’s Octamar Combustion Catalyst Series is the first product of its kind to be endorsed by Class NK with the award for Innovation Endorsement for Products & Solutions and is recognized by every major shipping registry as a SEEMP 3-accepted product.  

Shipowners who team up with Innospec operate confidently, knowing that their vessel crews can contact Innospec directly 24/7 when they require guidance on techniques to mitigate symptoms resulting from blending inconsistencies. The company employs an engineering staff of over 200 scientists and engineers producing over 700 patents annually in recent years.  This level of involvement in the global chemical industry has Innospec well positioned for the future.

Marine Sales Manager Joshua Townley says Innospec’s goal is to “solve problems, not symptoms” – a goal that can benefit every shipowner.

Perfect Recipe

Chevron, Gulf Marine and Innospec are creating products that can be blended into post-IMO 2020 fuels to reduce their abrasive and combustible characteristics, thereby increasing the odds that shipowners will see a full lifecycle of equipment utilization while remaining fully compliant. 

As we look to 2050, shipowners may feel even more pressure, like the chef trying to make the perfect soup that will satisfy both the fad dieters as well as carnivores and vegetarians. Who knew that banquet hosts and shipowners had this much in common? At least shipowners can count on partners like Chevron, Gulf Marine and Innospec to get the job done.  

Pat Zeitler is a frequent contributor to the magazine.