Page 267 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024

achieve (and I would readily encourage them to do so).
If you do not have the in-house knowledge or expe-
rience in marine lubrication to feel confident in your
selection, it’s vital to collaborate with a partner that
can provide that expertise and support.
It is also important to find a supplier whose capa-
bilities you can have great confidence in. You want
a supplier that has worked alongside OEMs to
develop products that meet their specifications,
and overcome the challenges involved in that pro-
cess. In our case, we collaborated closely with MAN
Energy Solutions (MAN ES) on creating a propri-
etary formulation for the new Category II BN 40
cylinder oil, Shell Alexia 40 XC. The product solved
a challenge for both MAN ES and operators who
want to meet the requirements of OEMs.

❹ What makes Shell Alexia 40 XC so differ-
ent from other cylinder oils?
One key element is that there is no need to switch
between high-BN and low-BN lubricants to pro-
tect engines. Designed for low-speed, two-stroke
marine engines using low-sulphur fuels, Shell Alexia
40 XC is a BN 40 product that’s 30% cleaner than
Category I BN40 cylinder oils while offering the
same cleanliness as Category II BN100 products. This is where lubrication monitoring services like Disclaimers
1,2
This means it can help minimise deposits, con- Shell LubeMonitor come in. As well as helping you 1. Based on results
trol wear and prolong component life – all while find the right feed rate and potentially reduce oil of field trials
improving the efficiency of onboard operations by consumption, effective monitoring can help you to conducted in
collaboration
removing the need to switch between BN 40 and reduce downtime and maintenance costs by mit- with MAN ES in
BN 100 products. igating the impact of engine wear on your vessel which Shell
Our team of scientists and seafarers has worked operations. Alexia 40 XC
oil was tested
closely with MAN ES at every step along the way. It against a
means that Shell Alexia 40 XC has not only met the ❻ How can lubricants like Shell Alexia 40 Category I BN
required specifications but has received a full No XC help operators today while setting 40 cylinder
oil (Vessel TS
Objection Letter from MAN ES. This demonstrates them up for success with future fuels? Sydney (Songa
their confidence in the product and shows that The only guarantee we have in shipping is that Toscana)).
operators can trust it to deliver for their vessels. things will continue to change – and change at 2. Based on results
pace. As the adoption of low- and zero-emission of field trials
❺ What other elements do operators need fuels becomes more widespread, the requirements conducted in
collaboration
to consider when selecting lubricants? for cylinder oils will shift. with MAN Energy
Managing a vessel’s engine is not like putting When you look at liquefied natural gas (LNG), for Solutions (MAN
oil into your car where you leave it for around example, there’s a potential long-term pathway ES) in which
Shell Alexia
15,000km before changing it. Shipping engines from its current form to bio-LNG through to syn- 40 XC oil was
consume oil all the time. They’re constantly inject- thetic e-LNG. To ensure the protection of your tested against
ing lubricants – and they have a lost-lubrication engines when using future fuels and to future- a Category II
BN 100 cylinder
system. proof your lubricant choices, you might want to oil (Vessel
To maintain the optimum performance of the consider a high-performance product like Shell Mingzhou); based
engine, you need, among other things, to be mon- Alexia 40 XC, which is compatible with LNG, bio- on testing
procedures for
itoring for wear metals in the used oil that can indi- LNG, and e-LNG. OEM recommendations will be Category II
cate wear on the engine itself. This can be a lot of a key consideration here as well. As I have men- cylinder oils by
work for crews if not done efficiently. tioned already, Cat. II BN 40 cylinder oils repre- MAN ES, approved
Category II
You also need to adjust how much of the lubricant sent a sturdy option for existing low-sulphur fuels cylinder oils
you inject into the power cylinders of the engine – including LNG, ethane, methanol and LPG. have a cleaning
for optimal performance. After all, if you use more Whatever the future holds for shipping, I am look- ability equal to
or better than a
than is needed for your engine, that’s an inefficient ing forward to the challenge of figuring out how classical BN 100
way of operating that can cost you more over time. to help operators get the most from their vessels. cylinder oil.

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