Castrol advises the marine industry to prepare for ‘new normal’

Global lubricants supplier Castrol has advised the shipping industry to expect a period of ‘new normal’; where continuous change in environmental compliance standards is driven by regulation, adding layers of technical complexity for owners and operators.

It outlined that as the shipping sector examines its current and future fuel choices due to IMO 2020, there needs to be an understanding that fuels and lubricants are intrinsically linked.

Failure to consult and work in partnership with engine manufacturers, fuels and lubricant suppliers could lead to unintended consequences.

“It is important that the industry looks at the immense operational, technical and procurement challenges associated with the 2020 sulphur cap and recognises a wider trend that will stretch our sector and require a new mindset as more changes approach at every level,” said Kamuran Yazganoglu, Managing Director, Global Marine and Energy, Castrol.

“Owners and operators will have to make sure that crews are constantly updated as to the choices that affect their day-to-day work and the risks associated with those choices, putting extra strain on those in the engine room and redefining practices in doing so. Change also impacts vessels on a technical level, as the intrinsic link between the fuel, the engine and the lubricant becomes ever-more significant.

“What the industry needs to recognise is that this ‘new normal’ for change is only set to continue. January 1, 2020 marks a turning point, not an end-point, on our journey towards compliant, efficient operations. Fundamentally, this trend is going to require all of us to collaborate and work with agility to ensure engines are maintained, fuels are compliant and safely burned, and that the right lubricant is chosen to underpin both of these.”

Yazganoglu also pointed out that new regulation was not the sole driver of change, with new technologies and commercial pressures also prompting shifts to business.

“The potential for greater efficiency, in terms of fuel, engines and lubricants, holds great promise for the industry. But the unintended consequences of any change at the technical level can have far reaching operational and supply chain effects – all of which must be assessed at a vessel level to ensure continuity of operations,” he adds.

“All of this comes at a time when owners and operators are rightly focused on their bottom line. But there are real opportunities to be realised from embracing the change we are seeing in terms of new engines, fuels and lubricants.”

In anticipation of this changing operational environment, Castrol has reaffirmed its commitment to its SmartGains programme.

As part of the SmartGains process, Castrol consults with owners and operators on where marginal gains can be made across their businesses to generate a greater cumulative saving across areas such as procurement, engine room operations and lubricant switchovers.

Photo credit: Castrol
Published: 18 October, 2019