Shell has launched its new range of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs), including Shell Naturelle S4 Stern Tube Fluid 100. The Shell Naturelle range of products enables ships entering US waters to comply with the revised 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP).
Shell Naturelle S4 Stern Tube Fluid 100 is made with fully saturated ester base oil, which offers the best resistance to hydrolysis (breakdown by water) and oxidation (oil ageing). It is also a non-emulsifying fluid, which allows ship operators to easily drain any water from the stern tube system, preventing hydrolysis and biodegradation of the oil within the equipment.
What sets Shell Naturelle S4 Stern Tube Fluid 100 apart from the competition is the wide range of approvals it has received from stern tube original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), like Aegir-Marine, Blohm & Voss (SKF), Kemel and Wärtsillä Propulsion.
In addition, Shell has also launched its VGP-compliant range of gear oils, hydraulic oils, wire rope lubricant and greases, almost all of which has received EU Eco Label certification and a host of approvals from top original equipment OEMs.
“We are delighted to introduce our new Shell Naturelle range of EALs and give our customers the peace of mind that they can comply with these regulations when they enter US waters. We have also taken the choice to use the best available technology to better protect our customers’ equipment, ” said Jan Toschka, General Manager of Shell Marine Products.
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• Shell’s Naturelle range of VGP-compliant products is available in major ports across Shell’s global network.
• The 2013 revised VGP impacts all commercial vessels longer than 79 feet and requires the use of EALs for all applications with a possible oil-to-sea interface unless technically infeasible.
• Affected applications include stern tubes, rudder bearings, controllable pitch propellers, stabilisers, thrusters, wire ropes and cables.
• The intent of this new requirement is to reduce the environmental impact of lubricant discharges on the aquatic ecosystem by increasing the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants for vessels operating in waters of the United States.
• The areas covered by the VGP includes all waters within three nautical miles of US coastlines, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and in the Great Lakes.
• Shell Naturelle is a range of lubricants that have been specially developed to be environmentally considerate, used in environmentally sensitive areas such as inland waterways, flood defences, forests, ski slopes and mining sites. Typically, these are found in industry sectors such as mining, construction (tunnelling), pulp & paper (forestry), railways, agriculture and marine.
ENQUIRIES:
Shell Marine Products Global: Oliver Lim + 65 9727 8960 o.lim@shell.com
ABOUT SHELL MARINE PRODUCTS
Shell provides lubricants for the marine industry through its Shell Marine Products business. It serves over 10, 000 vessels, ranging from large ocean-going tankers to small fishing boats in over 500 ports across 40 countries. The advice and technical services we provide help our customers achieve maximum value from using our lubricant products across all types of machinery and equipment on a ship.
