Chevron’s new 40 cylinder oil approved for MAN Mk 9 engines
The introduction of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 0.5% sulphur limit in January 2020 prompted MAN Energy Solutions SE (MAN ES) to change its strategy regarding the performance levels of cylinder oils. The German multinational company introduced two performance standards for lube oils in its two-stroke engines, Category I and Category II. The performance requirements of Category II are considerably higher than Category I, with the standard designed for Mk 9 and higher engines. Category I oils are for Mk 8 and earlier engines.
Category II-approved oils for use with Heavy Fuel Oil, including 100BN and 140BN oils, have been available for some time. However, lower base number (BN) oils, specifically 40BN, for use with Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) have proved more challenging to commercialise.
On April 26, Chevron Marine Lubricants announced that their new Taro Ultra Advanced 40 had passed MAN ES’s two-stage Main NOL Service and Confirmation field tests to achieve Category II status. The approval makes it one of the first low BN oils designed for use with a range of low and zero sulphur fuels including VLSFO, ULSFO, LNG and methanol. The company indicated the product would complement its existing higher BN Category II products, Taro Ultra 100 and Taro Ultra 140. Taro Ultra Advanced 40 will be available across Chevron Marine’s global supply network in the second half of 2022.
Chevron Marine Lubricants detailed extensive testing on vessels with MAN 8G80ME-C9.2 in conjunction with shipowners including Greece’s Cape Shipping SA. “We have now operated for extended time on Chevron’s new high-performance 40BN cylinder oil and have seen a significant improvement,” said Mr. Elias Soulis, technical manager at Cape Shipping SA. The Cape Shipping representative claimed they no longer need to alternate between two different cylinder products, therefore reducing the complexity of their operations.
The announcement follows hot on the heels of the MAN ES’s approval of Shell Marine’s Alexia 40 XC cylinder oil.
