Castrol Launches New ECA Marine Cylinder Oil

Cyltech ACT is said to have been specifically designed for use by vessels operating in ECAs.

Castrol Monday in an emailed press release announced the release of a new marine cylinder oil, Cyltech ACT, specifically designed for use in vessels operating in emission control areas (ECAs).

"New regulations, changes in engine design and vessel operations plus alternative fuels are presenting our customers with increasing challenges," said Paul Turner, vice president of marine and energy at Castrol.

Cyltech ACT is said to be intended to assist ship operators in successfully managing the complexities of ECA transition.

"In terms of the 2015 ECA requirements, we have invested in analysing vessels' transitions so that we can bring a high performance lubricant to market that is based on insight-driven technology," explained Turner.

"This is the latest example of how we are working collaboratively with ship operators to recommend the right lubricants for each vessel's operating profile as well as helping them to create efficiencies through approaches such as feed rate optimisation."

Castrol says the new product uses Ash Control Technology (ACT) to reduce the risk of ash build up while burning low sulfur fuel oil, adding that Cyltech ACT, which has a base number (BN) of 16, generates more than 30 percent less ash than a 25BN cylinder oil.

Cyltech ACT will be available in Singapore, Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA), and key U.S. ports by the end of 2016's first quarter, with availability following at other ports throughout the year, says Castrol.

The new cylindar lubricant is said to be part of a wide range of Cyltech products, which includes Cyltech 70 and Cyltech 100, that is intended to enable vessel operators to select the right combination of products to protect against corrosive wear.

"Castrol has always maintained that effectively lubricating the cylinders of large 2-stroke engines in today's complex environment can only be achieved through the selection of a range of lubricants," said Turner.

In June, Shell Marine Products (SMP) said that selecting an effective lubricant for use with low-sulfur fuels, now a more common practice with the existence of ECAs, is not only about matching BN to the fuel's sulfur content.