Cylinder Oil Selection News

Total Lubmarine, part of Total Lubricants,  has received a No Objection Letter (NOL) from leading engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions, for the use of Talusia on MAN B&W 2-stroke engines operating on fuels with less than 0.5%S Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).Total Lubmarine had developed the set of marine lubricants designed to work with a range of low sulfur fuels, as the new emissions standards designed to curb pollution from ships by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set to be implemented on January 1, 2020.Talusia Universal was tested on an 8S50MC-C MAN B&W engine operating on VLSFO (max 0.5%S) to  achieve its NOL.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has mandated a global 0.50% cap on the maximum level of sulphur in marine fuel. This new cap represents a significant reduction – down from the current 3.50% limit – and presents the marine industry with compliance challenges.Starting from January 1, 2020, vessel operators will need to use a compliant fuel, or have a scrubber fitted if they wish to continue burning high-sulphur fuel oil. This ruling does not affect Emission Control Areas (ECAs), where a 0.10% sulphur fuel is still required.ExxonMobil anticipates that the vast majority of the industry will choose a low-sulphur fuel to meet the new IMO 2020 cap. However, there is no single route to compliance.

ExxonMobil has announced its new 40BN cylinder oil, Mobilgard 540, will be available from September 2, 2019. The lubricant has been specifically formulated for use with 0.50% sulphur fuels that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 emission regulations and meets the requirements of OEMs, MAN ES and WinGD.Mobilgard 540 will be available from launch in major ports around the world including Hong Kong, Singapore, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It will also be offered at additional locations through ExxonMobil’s delivery network, in bulk and in packs.

MAN Diesel & Turbo supports Castrol’s advice that misapplication of mid-range base number (BN) cylinder oils can cause corrosion. Castrol inform that the engine manufacturer recently issued service letters that recommend “cylinder lube oil with 70BN or higher” for latest generation super long stroke engines using higher sulphur fuel (above 1.5%-2%). MAN says it “cannot recommend” cylinder oils “with a BN level between 50 and 60” for these engines. Ship-owners have been persuaded to try a host of new mid-range lubricants on the basis that they offer a solution across the range of sulphur content in fuel oil, including during slow steaming operations.