Maritime technology solutions provider ZeroNorth on Thursday (9 July) said it is partnering with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to enhance bunker procurement processes through digital innovation.

“By leveraging ZeroNorth’s Bunker Procurement Solution, NCLH will create greater efficiencies across the bunker procurement process while enhancing transparency, supplier collaboration, and decision-making,” the company said in a social media post. 

ZeroNorth added that fuel procurement is one of the most complex functions in operating a global cruise fleet. 

“Balancing market dynamics, supplier options, operational schedules, and cost considerations require timely insights and the right technology,” it said. 

Lory Urdaneta, Senior Director Energy Strategy at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said: “At Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, we are committed to embracing innovative technologies that strengthen our operations and deliver long-term value. 

“Our partnership with ZeroNorth is an important step in enhancing our bunker procurement process through greater transparency, data-driven decision-making, and operational efficiencies. We look forward to working together to drive innovation and support the continued evolution of our procurement capabilities.”

Photo credit: ZeroNorth
Published: 10 July, 2026

Steve Bee, Group Marketing and Strategic Projects Director of marine fuels testing company VPS, on Thursday (9 July) highlighted that coolant analysis can prevent failures through early chemical detection, protect components, maintain performance, plus reduce costs and downtime: 

Engine coolants play a critical role in protecting equipment performance, efficiency, and longevity. As cooling system technologies and coolant formulations continue to evolve, regular laboratory analysis has become an essential part of proactive maintenance.

It is widely known that coolants should be managed with the same discipline as other critical fluids, as chemical changes can develop long before visible failures occur.

However, it must be emphasized that coolant analysis is about reliability, not just fluid condition. Modern engines and cooling systems operate under higher thermal loads and tighter tolerances, so even small changes in coolant chemistry can affect corrosion control, heat transfer, and component life.

An effective coolant analysis service should provide operators with an early warning system, helping to identify contamination, degradation, and inhibitor depletion before they become operational failures. The service can be a practical tool for reducing downtime, preventing avoidable repairs, and extending equipment life.

As stated above, many cooling system issues start at the chemical level, long before anything is visible and without analysis you are effectively blind until a failure starts. Through coolant testing, risks such as corrosion, cavitation and scale formation can be detected long before damage occurs.

As an example, the above images show the damage that can occur when a coolant does not have sufficient concentration to provide adequate protection. This damage can appear as scale formation, reduced heat-transfer efficiency and lower flow rates, which can ultimately lead to corrosion.

Coolants don’t just control temperature, they also chemically protect engines and coolant systems. They effectively prevent corrosion of metals and components, reduce cavitation damage in liners and pumps and help avoid deposit build-up and blockages in heat exchangers. Its true that cooling system damage, is a major source of engine failure.

Coolants must be chemically stable in order to transfer heat effectively, as poor cooling performance directly impacts engine efficiency, fuel consumption and reliability. As a predictive maintenance tool coolant analysis moves operations from emergency repairs to planned maintenance.

Should coolants exhibit degrees of incompatibility, then further issues can arise. Mixing incompatible coolants can cause sludge formation, which will in turn affect coolant circulation, leading to reduced efficiency. In addition incompatible coolants can form sludge or gels, which negatively impacts circulation and heat transfer creating hotspots. Those hotspots can break down lubrication and cause micro-welding between piston and liner surfaces, leading to piston pick-up.

Historically, many coolants were relatively simple glycol/water formulations supported by inorganic inhibitors such as silicates, phosphates, or borates. However, modern coolants are more sophisticated, including OAT, HOAT, NOAT, POAT, and other specialized blends designed for longer service life and improved protection. This added sophistication creates a need for verification: when systems are topped up, mixed, contaminated, or serviced.

Organic Acid Technology (OAT) coolants, can be formulated with various organic acids such as Sebacate, which is an ester of sebacic acid. Sebacate exhibits low volatility and excellent flexibility at low temperatures. Also tolytriazole can be a component, which is best known as a thermally stable, metal corrosion inhibitor.

So organic acid technology uses organic acids to provide targeted corrosion protection, especially for aluminum and mixed-metal systems. The advantages are, long service life of up to seven years, reduced abrasive deposits, and protection that is generally gentler on seals and components. However, whilst such coolants offer long service life, OAT coolants are not maintenance-free. Its also possible that coolant protection can be slow to establish and performance can be compromised by incorrect mixing, contamination, or loss of inhibitor balance. This is where routine analysis helps verify that the coolant is still doing its job.

Hybrid Organic Acid Technology (HOAT) coolants are newer generation coolants which combine organic acid technology with selected inorganic additives. They aim to provide both long-life protection and faster initial corrosion control through improved heat transfer and cooling performance. This makes them attractive for demanding engines and systems where heat transfer, compatibility, and corrosion control are all critical. The important point is that HOAT chemistry is more complex than traditional coolant chemistry. That complexity can make correct identification, compatibility, and contamination control more difficult. The downsides to HOAT coolants are they are more expensive than traditional coolants, but more concerning is they can be more susceptible to becoming contaminated, affecting their effectiveness and lifespan. Therefore, routine lab testing helps confirm whether the coolant in service still matches the intended formulation and whether the inhibitor package remains effective.

The shipping fleet has numerous sectors and each have various considerations when it comes to the use of coolants:

However, the underlying need for each shipping sector is similar, in that cooling-system reliability supports uptime, safety, and cost control. Deep-sea shipping, offshore and marine services, harbour and coastal operations, cruise and ferry operators, inland waterway vessels, plus port or terminal operators, all have equipment where coolant condition can affect reliability. The commercial message is that coolant analysis can be positioned alongside existing marine fluid management services, making it a logical extension rather than a separate standalone offering.

A typical coolant analysis test slate includes the following tests highlighting what each test parameter detects, their frequency and benefits:

To take an analogy from Oil Condition Monitoring, Coolant Analysis is effectively a “blood test” for the cooling system.

So in summary, Coolant Analysis can prevent failures through early chemical detection, protect components, maintain performance, plus reduce costs and downtime.

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 10 July, 2026

With synthetic engine oils playing an increasingly important role in modern machinery and marine operations, Joe Star, Strategic Account Manager of marine fuels testing company VPS on Tuesday (7 July), said the key to unlocking the full value of synthetic lubricants is condition-based oil analysis:

A Demanding Environment

Across the United States, many vessels operating offshore and across the country’s inland water ways are powered by high-speed engines. These engines provide one of the most demanding lubrication environments for engine oils to manage.

Engines frequently run at high loads, switching between long periods of continuous operation and shorter stints alternating between idling, standby and high loads during manoeuvring.

Such load changes, temperature variations and extreme conditions, along with the unique operating profile, vessels encounter, place extreme stress on engine oils. This results in leading Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM’s) typically recommending drain intervals averaging only 250 operating hours. As a consequence, operators regularly assess the use of synthetic based oils, given the performance and commercial benefits that can be realised based upon extended drain intervals.

Whilst synthetic oils offer clear and significant performance advantages, the successful adoption and monetisation of a higher unit cost base product, depends upon implementing a structured and effective oil analysis program. 

The Synthetic Difference

As engine designs, pressures and temperatures have continued to evolve to keep pace with fuel efficiency needs and requirements, a similar situation has evolved across lubricating oils. With higher pressures and temperatures, the stress on the oil has never been greater. Requiring sufficient viscosity, stability, oxidation control and wear protection capabilities, to be prioritised by lubricant formulators.

Synthetic oils are typically granted a longer drain interval by the equipment manufacturer (OEM) and are proven to be able to achieve this due to their high Viscosity Index (VI) capabilities and the largely uniform molecular structure when compared to mineral oils.

In mineral-based oils, molecules can vary in size and shape, leading to inconsistent lubrication and film creation and most importantly can exhibit a quicker breakdown under heat and increased rate of oxidation. This leads to the low 250 operating hour drain interval, typically recommended in operation.

In theory, Synthetic oils have been proven to be able to significantly extend drain intervals to more than 5-6 times the OEM recommended mineral equivalent, with no performance or reliability issues. However, monetising and ensuring that this is completed, requires a mindset shift from scheduled drain intervals to a condition-based approach based upon routine oil analysis. Adjusting and extending drain intervals can mitigate the most common issue which challenges this practice, which is external contamination in the form of fuel dilution or water ingress.

External Contamination and Fuel Dilution

Due to the operational nature of many vessels which use high-speed engines as a primary source of propulsion, fuel dilution and water ingress are some of the most common occurrences of external contamination, limiting the lifespan of lubricants within engines.

Through leveraging VPS’ MyLubes digital application, extracting results reported so far in 2026, it can be seen that approximately 26% of all high-speed engine oil analysis, in which distillate fuels were in operation, were reported as either a caution or an alert against relevant limits.

70% of the cautions and failures reported were through a combination of Viscosity, Flash Point or Base Number; highlighting the fuel and lubricant interaction; as Viscosity failures covered both elevated and lower Viscosity values. Elevated viscosity being a sign of oxidation and lower viscosity indicating fuel dilution respectively.

Fuel dilution is when fuel enters the crankcase or sump and mixes with the engine oil in the system. Typically, it is distillate fuel (Marine Gas Oil) which is the fuel choice for these engines.

Vessel’s that are more susceptible to fuel dilution are vessels which operate on frequent start-stop cycles, prolonged idling and low-load operation, where operational profiles require short bursts of high load, this can promote fuel ingress into the lubricating oil.

Critically, when looking to maximise lubricant lifespan, VPS data shows that approximately 23% of caution/failed high-speed engine oil analysis results are due to fuel dilution, highlighting that in these instances, either mineral or synthetic based lubricants are not being maximised.

Fuel dilution has a direct impact on overall lubricant performance, notably:

• Viscosity reduction, leading to increased metal to metal contact
• Reduced flashpoint, leading to safety risks and onboard management requirements
• Accelerated lubricant degradation and corrosion, leading to reduced component lifespan

Mineral and Synthetic based oils are both equally susceptible to fuel dilution occurring. In addition there are financial considerations to manage fuel dilution when Synthetic products are in place, due to the increased unit cost. Ensuring prompt detection and resolution is the most effective tool to effectively minimise the real-world impact of fuel dilution on lubrication strategies.

Monetising a more costly lubricant

Whilst typical mineral based engine oils drain intervals are approximately 250-500 hours, depending upon the engine make and model, synthetic oils have been able to extend drain intervals to over 2000 hours. The benefit to operators is clear on paper, with synthetic oils typically costing 2-3 times more than mineral equivalents. Provided drain intervals are extended beyond 3 times the mineral equivalent, a significant budget saving can be achieved by the operator.

Notably this creates a shift in operating mentality, moving from a time-based approach to a condition-based assessment of oil quality; meaning that a robust oil analysis programme and sampling interval becomes more important, not less.

In addition to providing the most effective early warning with regards to fuel dilution and contamination, a robust Oil Condition Monitoring (OCM) programme is the critical enabler to safely and reliably extending drain intervals with synthetic, or mineral based engine oils.

At a high level, based upon operational experience, VPS’s core recommendations for an effective programme to support extended drains include:

• Sampling intervals at least twice per drain cycle: Increasing frequency if fuel dilution is observed, or engines are operated at low loads for extended periods
• In practice, sampling every 200-300 hours is strongly recommended, typically 6-8 times per drain interval for Synthetic lubricants
• Oil samples to be taken following representative running of the engine
• Close monitoring of any deviation of trends, through digital platforms
• Integration of lubricant sampling and data into Maintenance systems
• Assessment of common limiting factors across fleets and engine types

Lowering Cost

Fundamentally, with high-speed diesel engines being the workhorse of inland waterborne transportation and offshore vessels; lubricants will be a critical part of the total system and subsequent operating cost.

Synthetic based products offer a benefit on paper when compared to mineral oils, however if such products are consumed at the same rate as mineral oils, there is no benefit to expenditure, and more money is spent for the same outcome.

Drain intervals can only be safely extended, and subsequently monetised, through a robust oil analysis programme. In the demanding environment of inland and offshore operations, oil analysis provides more than a measure of lubricant condition; it also delivers valuable insight into the condition of the engine itself. By routinely monitoring oil health, identifying contamination, wear trends and degradation at an early stage, operators can take timely corrective action, protect engine reliability, extend oil life and ultimately reduce operating costs.

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 8 July, 2026