Castrol Marine is to launch a range of readily biodegradable marine lubricants which it says will cause much less environmental damage than conventional mineral oils if they find their way into the sea.
The company claims that its new range of hydraulic, stern tube, gear oils and greases are much less toxic and more biodegradable than other products, while not compromising on performance.
It is estimated that over 30 million gallons of oil is leaked from ships during normal operations in ports and harbours every year - more than three times the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Machinery failure and human error are the major contributing factors, but some marine lubricants and greases also end up in the water from accidental leakage.
"Oil leakage can occur even on well maintained and managed ships. This is why we've focused on creating biodegradable oils for equipment where there is risk of accidental spillage or leakage to minimise environmental damage," said David Gilmour, Director of BP-Castrol Marine Lubricants.
"The management and control of marine pollution is steadily assuming a higher priority for ship operators as governments and official bodies focus increasingly on environmental infringements and threaten personnel with criminal prosecution," Gilmour noted.
"Using biodegradable oil provides a 'failsafe' solution for ship operators squeezed between the twin pressures of increasingly stringent legislation to protect the environment and operating realities," he continued. "Environmental legislation can only get tougher, but ships will still leak oil, this is the reality we are facing."
Environmental pressures are coming not just from legislation, but also increasingly from shipping customers who want all links in their supply chain to demonstrate their green credentials.
"Green business is actually good business," Anil Jayaraj, Marketing Director for BP-Castrol Marine Lubricants, said during a product launch event in London.
Jayaraj and his colleague David Gunaseelan, product manager for BP-Castrol Marine Lubricants, said the new range of environmentally friendly marine lubricants were "much better than any other available" so there would be no performance loss from "going green."
Gunaseelan said the new lubricant product range used advanced synthetic base oil technology, and that 30-80% of them were derived from renewable sources. While not wanting to reveal too much about how they are made, he said fatty acids were used in the base oil production.
"We're looking into the whole chain and sustainability of the product from the base oils to the end product," said Gunaseelan.
Castrol's new range of environmentally friendly products: BioStat stern tube an gear oils, BioBar hydraulic oils, BioTrans gear oils and BioTac EP2 grease, come at a cost.
Replying to a question from Bunkerworld, a Castrol representative said prices would be two to two-and-a-half times those of traditional marine lubricants, partially because synthetic oils are more expensive.
Despite that, Castrol believes the products' high performance and green credentials would help convince its customers that they represent good value.
Asked if they intended to replace its existing ranges with the more environmentally friendly products, he said it was Castrol's long term goal that the new range would be customers 'default' chose of lubricants.
Castrol said it has not produced a biodegradable cylinder oil, the type of marine lubricants a ships use in the largest quantities, because there is little risk of it being accidentally spilt into the sea.
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