Shell Marine launches Shell Alexia 40 lubricant ahead of IMO 2020 regulation changes, reports Seatrade Maritime News.
Shell Alexia 40 ahead of 2020
Shell Marine will introduce its new two-stroke engine cylinder oil dedicated for use with ship engines running on 0.5% sulphur fuel into the Singapore market this year, ahead of the IMO 2020 regulation.
With a base number of 40, the new Shell Alexia 40 has been developed to optimise equipment performance and condition as shipowners and charterers prepare for the switch to use bunker fuels with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5% from 1 January 2020 under IMO Marpol Annex VI regulation.
When and where is it available?
From 1 July 2019, Shell Alexia 40 will be commercially available in Singapore. The product will then be gradually introduced to other main supply ports in Hong Kong, Rotterdam Fujairah and in countries like China and the US.
Shell Marine has more than 700 networked ports across 61 countries.
Why Shell Alexia 40?
“We wanted to develop something that can cover the 0.5% fuel oil market and that is the Shell Alexia 40,” said Hew Shaw Siang, regional sales manager for Asean and South Asia at Shell Marine.
At present, Shell Marine’s portfolio of lubes include Shell Alexia 140 and 100 for high sulphur fuel oil, Shell Alexia 70 for 0.5% sulphur fuel for newer engines and high sulphur fuel oil for old vessels with scrubbers, and Shell Alexia 25 for 0.1% sulphur fuel and LNG.
“Different fuel oil types require different lubes. Market requirements are shifting so we are looking to provide a full portfolio to our customers,” Hew said.
Shell Alexia 40 performance tested
“Owners transitioning to the post-IMO 2020 marine fuels era need peace of mind over the condition and performance of their engines. To remove any uncertainty, Shell Alexia 40’s performance has been fully tested on representative very low sulphur fuel oils and engines for the operating conditions owners will actually face,” he added.
After extensive testing at Shell’s Marine & Power Innovation Centre in Hamburg and working closely with original equipment manufacturers, Shell Alexia 40 has undergone thousands of hours of trials onboard four ships with the latest engine types, using representative IMO 2020-compliant fuels, to verify performance at sea.
Vital lubricant condition tools
Joris van Brussel, general manager of Shell Marine Global, commented: “Post IMO 2020, it is imperative for engine performance that customers can rely on the cylinder oils they choose.”
“Lubricant condition tools, such as Shell LubeAnalyst and Shell LubeMonitor, will be vital for managing engine performance, but also for optimising lubricant feed rates and costs.”
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Source: Seatrade
