Nine CSL Newbuilds Eliminate oil usage with seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings.
The drive for pollution free ships continues as Canadian-based ship owners, CSL Group Inc., eliminate oil from the stern tube and equip nine of their latest new builds with seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings. CSL has specified non-metallic propeller shaft bearings that use seawater rather than oil to lubricate the shafts on the Trillium Class vessels built at Chengxi Shipyard and Yangfan Shipyard in China.
Following the successful retrofit and operation of Thordon water lubricated propeller shaft bearings on the CSL Acadian (converted in 2006), CSL will install a similar package on all of its new buildings. These new builds include three Panamax (71,900dwt) self-unloader bulk carriers, four (35,500dwt) Great Lakes self-unloader bulk carriers and two (36,000dwt) Great Lakes bulk carriers. The new builds fall under CSL’s trademark Trillum Class which symbolically mirrors the three legs of CSL’s sustainability philosophy as well as represents the three advantages the vessels provide, namely in the areas of Energy, Efficiency and the Environment. “The Trillium Class design includes many industry leading efficiency and pollution reduction features. Eliminating any possible source of pollution was given a high priority when designing these vessels”, says Kevin Begley of CSL International.
The pollution of the world’s oceans and seas has become a matter of increasing international concern for many ship owners. As stricter environmental legislation and improved pollution detection methods are becoming the norm in Canada, the United States of America and the European Union, ship owners like CSL are looking for new ways to reduce all sources of pollution from their ships. Choosing seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings and grease-free rudder bearings are just a few ways ship owners can ensure future compliance with any pending zero discharge legislation.