New biodegradable marine lubricant from Castrol

The new range of biodegradable hydraulic, stern tube, gear oils and greases are, Castrol says, 100 times less toxic and 100% more biodegradable than conventional mineral oils and exceed the requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency. This cuts the risk of environmental damage from accidental leakage, a routine occurrence in the maritime industry, particularly among older vessels.

‘Using biogradable oil provides a ‘failsafe solution’

It is estimated that over 30 million gallons of oil is leaked from ships during normal operations in ports and harbours every year – more than three times the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Machinery failure and human error are the major contributing factors. According to industry data, leakages of five to 1,000 tons have dropped dramatically in the last few years, but those under five tons have eased only marginally. “This illustrates how important it is to guard against the smallest spillages,” said David Gilmour Director, BP-Castrol Marine Lubricants. “The management and control of marine pollution is steadily assuming a higher priority for ship operators as governments and official bodies focus increasingly on environmental infringements and threaten personnel with criminal prosecution. However, the industry should not simply react to authorities’

requirements but take a proactive approach to avoid damaging the marine environment during operations.” Underlying causes of pollution incidents included failure and misuse of valves, overflows, defects in plate and pipes, hose rupture, contaminated bilges and faulty gauges. The replacement of conventional mineral oils with biodegradable lubricant in equipment where there is a risk of accidental spillage or leakage and consequent environmental damage could eventually become mandatory. “Using biodegradable oil provides a ‘failsafe’ solution for ship operators squeezed between the twin pressures of increasingly stringent legislation to protect the environment and operating realities,” Gilmour said. “Environmental legislation can only get tougher, but ships will still leak oil, this is the reality we are facing. Oil leakage can occur even on well maintained and managed ships. This is why we’ve focused on creating biodegradable oils for equipment where there is risk of accidental spillage or leakage to minimise environmental damage. We need to take a positive approach to avoid damaging the marine environment during operations.”