Lubricants supplier Total Lubmarine has received a no objection letter from Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) for the use of its cylinder lubricant Talusia Optima with the whole range of Wärtsilä engines.
Talusia Optima is a new cylinder lube oil (CLO) suitable for use with fuels ranging in sulphur content from 0-3.5 percent. The product is currently being tested on a range of ships and is expected to be brought to market later in 2016.
Talusia Optima completed over 4,300 hours of validation tests on-board a mega boxship deployed on Asia-Europe liner routes. The vessel’s engine, a two-stroke Wärtsilä 14RT-flex96C-B, underwent a series of engine inspections and oil analyses throughout the test period and performed satisfactorily, meeting Wärtsilä’s requirements.
The oil uses ash-free neutralising molecules (ANM), which provide super-neutralization, outstanding cylinder cleanliness and the potential to reduce feed rates.
Total Lubmarine’s technical director Jean-Philippe Roman said, “Talusia Optima is an exciting new development and a step forward for the lubes industry. It is the first and only cylinder lube oil on the market able to lubricate engines operating with fuels with any sulphur content. It will bring an end to the need for vessels to change lubricant when entering and leaving ECAs, making life easier for ships’ crews."
The principle drivers behind the development of Talusia Optima have been emission regulation deadlines set by the IMO, technologies created in response to these regulations and the recommendations of OEMs and vessel operation optimization.
Serge Dal Farra, Total Lubmarine’s global marketing manager said: “Research carried out with our customers indicated their need for a simple, flexible product to counter the complexity of shipping operations in the current regulatory environment.
Not only does Talusia Optima simplify engine lubrication for engineers, but used in conjunction with a well monitored feed rate reduction program, offers potential savings. There is an all-round customer benefit.”
WinGD has given approval for the use of Talusia Optima with its Wärtsilä RTA, RT-flex and X engines as well as in Sulzer 2-stroke engines.
