Greener maritime activities: implementing the use of water based Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants in the ship industry

Maritim transport som er økende på verdensbasis, fører til et årlig utslipp av smøremiddel i ulike havner på omkring 32 til 61 millioner liter. Lekkasje av smøremiddel kan få katastrofale følger for det lokale marine dyre- og plantelivet i havet og videre føre til at farlige kjemiske forbindelser som tas opp i matvarekjeden kan påvirke menneskelig helse. Ved å erstatte alle ødeleggende og farlige mineraloljer som brukes i olje/sjø grensesjiktet i Brunvoll's fremdriftssystem med nye vannbaserte miljøakseptable smøremiddel (Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants - EAL) har derfor målet til prosjektet vært å få til en grønnere marin aktivitet i Norge. Nye vannbaserte EAL skal erstatte standard smøremiddel i alle olje/sjø grensesjikt, og optimaliserte belegg skal benyttes i kontaktpunkt mellom vann og smøremiddel. Derfor har innovasjonen i prosjektet omhandlet et nytt konsept for thrustere produsert av Brunvoll. Det har krevd at produkter og materialer som kan møte de nye kravene har måtte utvikles og tilpasses et nytt system. Verdensledende produktleverandører har deltatt i GELY-prosjektet for å bidra til mer miljøvennlige marine aktiviteter, inkludert: -Seal Engineering ved å produsere nye pakningsmaterialer og design som er kompatible med nye vannbaserte EAL. - Wear Solution i samarbeid med Seram Coatings ved å utvikle nye beleggmaterialer inkludert SiC belegg for deler med vannbaserte smøremiddel. Noe som har resultert i resultater vitenskapelig publikasjoner verdig. Prosjektet fortsetter etter endt prosjektperiode for å ferdigstille testene tiltenkt hos Brunvoll.

Maritime industry is expected to increase by 60% within 2050, from which the highest growth will be related to new green products. Per today, Norwegian green maritime technologies accounts for more than 25% of the total green maritime sector's revenue (8 billion NOK). This project will help the project participants being in the forefront of this green transition, having a direct outcome not only for them but also for their suppliers and all the value chain in terms of direct effect on employment. The GELY project will also have a direct impact on the ocean waters, by replacing harmful mineral oils by novel water-based Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs). This directly affects life below water (as stated in the UN Sustainable Goals) by reducing the amount of detrimental lubricants discharged to the sea by up to 6 million litres/year. This amount can be easily exceeded if GELY practices are implemented and spread over the ship industry.

Maritime transportation is increasing worldwide leading to annual lubricant release into the ports of about 32 to 61 million litres. Norwegian ports account for more than 1.6 million litres ranking Norway as the 12th world nation with the highest lubricant input to the sea. Lubricants reaching the sea waters can be catastrophic to local marine wildlife and aquatic plants and harmful chemical substances can enter the food chain affecting human health. Therefore, the aim of this project is to set up greener maritime activities in Norway by substituting all detrimental and harmful mineral oils in all Brunvol thrusters’ oil-to-sea interfaces with novel water-based Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL). The planned innovation in the project includes a new concept for the thrusters produced by Brunvoll since the new EAL will replace the standard lubricant in all oil-to-sea interfaces and the use of optimized coatings (e.g. SiC) in water lubricated contacts. This new concept needs the development of new products and materials that can meet the new requirements, including: -new EAL formulations based on the use of water as the main ingredient that will improve the technical performance of existing mineral oils and existing EAL alternatives in the market, -new seal materials and designs that are compatible with the new water-based EAL, -new coating materials including SiC coatings for water-based lubricated parts, -new designed thrusters that allow the use of the new proposed systems (EAL-seal-coating). The anticipated potential for the use of project findings include development of long-lasting thruster systems with a new seal type specially designed to operate with novel type of water-based EALs and ceramic coatings. This holistic approach for solving complex challenge will lead to a thruster design, that reduces maritime pollution and consequently bringing Norway into a leading position in the greener transition in the ship industry.