Castrol Advises Industry To Prepare For New Normal In Environmental Compliance

Castrol Advises Industry To Prepare For New Normal In Environmental Compliance

Castrol, a leading lubricant supplier in the world advised the industry to prepare for a ‘new normal’ when the industry is changing continuously in compliance with the environmental standards that are driven by a number of regulations and thereby, adding more of technical complexities for the owners and operators.

Castrol talked about how the industry was preparing to reach the IMO 2020 global sulphur cap goal by examining the present and future choices of fuel. It said that in all of that, the industry must understand that the fuels and lubricants were intrinsically linked. And not consulting and working with the manufacturers of the engine, suppliers of fuel and lubricants could lead to consequences that will not be intended and wanted.

The technical changes in the engine room should be considered by the shipping operators as the pressure of new changes brings more strain on the crew and the vessels. Changes in training, hardware, and software and also the procurement and application of fuels and lubricants.

The challenges that the industry is facing will not come to an end on January 1. The NOx and decarbonization regulations that are coming implies that 2020 is just a step towards the new standards for environmental compliance.

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

“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. The 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 recognize 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 said that not only was the new regulation the reason for the change but new technologies and the commercial pressure were also responsible for the shifts to business. He adds, “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.

“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 realized from embracing the change we are seeing in terms of new engines, fuels, and lubricants.”

According to Yazganoglu, in order to make the most out of the changes that are coming in the industry, the sector should be more flexible and must have the foresight for the changes to come especially on an operational level. With the changes coming in, Castrol reaffirmed its commitment to its SmartGains program. In this program, Castrol will consult about where the marginal gains could be made in the businesses with the owners and operators with respect to get a generation of a more cumulative saving in areas like procurement, engine room operations and lubricant switchovers.

In the approach to 2020, Castrol is ready to offer the industry with a full range of lubricants that can work in tandem with all the potential compliance of shipping pathways.

Reference: Castrol