Safety, Savings and Simplicity Cited as Key Cylinder Oils Benefits

Roughly nine out of 10 shipowners and managers using single oils believe that the main benefits are the assurance of safety in operations, direct savings in lubricant handling and appreciable simplicity for crew operations, according to an independent poll carried out on behalf of marine lubricants provider Total Lubmarine.

Commenting on the results, Serge Dal Farra, marketing manager, Total Lubmarine said, "We understand that amidst ever more stringent environmental standards and increasing fuel costs, operating successfully in today's marine industry and preparing for the challenges of tomorrow demands that vessels must deliver optimum performance and cost effectiveness. With four-fifths of our customer base using a single oil solution, the results of our survey support our strong conviction that 'single solution' universal lubricants represent the future of marine cylinder lubrication."

With regard to the usage of bio-lubricants, the survey also revealed a 90% increase since 2009, with 69% definitely or likely to buy eco-friendly products over the coming months. The main reasons for this were largely attributed to regulation (57%) and green company policy (55%). A key regulatory driver is likely to be the imminent changes to the Vessel General Permit (VGP) issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and entering into force in December 2013. Ship owners worldwide will now have to use lubricants that are compliant with this new legislation if they want to transit through U.S. waters. Total Lubmarine offers a range of bio-lubricants covering bearings, gears, hydraulic systems, wire ropes and stern tubes to customers worldwide.

A total of 176 interviews were conducted with ship owners and managers, across 29 countries. Independent consultancy, TNS Sofres asked 60 questions which explored areas including product offer, logistics offer and service, reliability, invoicing, ordering and efficiency of both the sales and technical teams.