Chevron Marine Lubricants has announced that its low sulfate ash barrel piston engine oil, Chevron HDAX 9700, has been the first to be approved by MAN Energy Solutions, which can be used in MAN's LNG or four-stroke engines with distillate fuels with sulfur content of up to 0.1%.
The approval is the first of its kind and makes it easy to switch between two fuels in machine use, meaning that only one lubricant can be used without having to change the lubricant when the other is used. Other lubricants are validated and tested on engines running gas or fraction fuels and receive limited approval for the use of fuels. The Chevron HDAX 9700, with its unique development, received unrestricted dual-fuel approval.
The Chevron HDAX 9700 was tested on the ultra-low emission rake suction dredger "Sanderus" by Luxembourg dredging and offshore operator Jan De Nul Group. Due to the use of a variety of low-sulfur fuels (less than 0.10% sulphur content) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and diesel particulate filters (DPFs), the company needed an engine lubricant with very low sulfate ash formation to comply with European Phase V limits on marine nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions.
Michel Deruyck of Jan De NulGroup explains: "We needed a low-sulfur oil with low sulfate ash because DPF could not handle high concentrations of ash deposits. However, MAN ES has not approved any hyposulfate ash oils for use with fraction fuels. We have partnered with Chevron to use low sulfate ash low sulfur oil on three other vessels, so we expanded our partnership and conducted validation tests on the HDAX 9700 on Sanderus. ”
Chevron HDAX 9700 is a SAE 40 engine lubricant designed to control the accumulation of sulfate ash in combustion chambers and exhaust systems while providing sufficient alkalinity to prevent acidic corrosion. After 6,500 hours of operation, approval for unrestricted use of distillate fuels was obtained, making Chevron HDAX 9700 the first low-sulfate ash low-sulfur lubricant of its kind to receive such approval. Since low sulfate ash low sulphur oils are commonly used in gas-fueled engines (which are also sensitive to sulfate ash deposits), MAN ES is also able to approve without restriction, and this lubricant can also be used for LNG fuels.
Jan De NulGroup will use the lubricant on more dredgers as well as jack-up vessels used in wind farm construction. Any vessel wishing to comply with emission control area or port emission limits by using LNG or distillate fuel and aftertreatment technologies can also opt in to use Chevron HDAX 9700 lubricants.
Luc Verbeeke, Senior Engineer at Chevron Marine Lubricants, said: "Our excellent collaboration with Jan De Nul Group has taken a valuable step for ship operators using LNG or fraction fuel, using a single lubricant not only simplifies the operation of changing fuel oil, but once again highlights Chevron lubricants' excellence in protecting the condition of marine engines. ”