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Oldendorff Carriers cuts cylinder oil costs by 33% with Technical Support and a switch to Shell Alexia S4
Through a close collaboration with Shell and a move to Shell Alexia S4, Oldendorff Carriers has cut its cylinder oil costs by 33% to give projected annual savings of over US$320,000.1
Company Information
Company: Oldendorff Carriers
Country: Germany
Application: Bulk carrier
Saving: US$320,000 a year
Key edge: Shell Alexia S4 and technical support
Over 90 years, Oldendorff Carriers has built a reputation based on its reliable and flexible service. It currently operates about 400 vessels carrying over 165 million tonnes of raw material and semi-finished products a year. The company’s Beate Oldendorff is a capesize-designated iron ore carrier built in 1988, with a MAN B&W 6S80MC engine, which typically runs with a 70–90% load. The vessel operates between Europe and South America with between 1.0 % (in emission control areas) and 3.4 % fuel sulphur levels.
In 2011, Shell Alexia S4 cylinder oil was trialled on the Beate Oldendorff. An initial engine inspection by Shell and Oldendorff Carriers’ engineers revealed signs of over-lubrication. A feed rate of over 1.8 g/kWh was typical, and regular and extensive cleaning to remove deposits was necessary to reduce the risk of piston polishing and sudden severe wear.
Oldendorff Carriers and Shell agreed to a detailed feed-rate reduction and a performance-monitoring programme, which included using the Shell ANALEXAlert real-time condition-monitoring system. Since April 2012, using Shell Alexia S4 the feed rate has been reduced to about 1.2 g/kWh. This equates to a saving of approximately 216 litres of cylinder oil a day or 64,800 litres a year2, which is a 33% reduction in cylinder oil costs; there has also been a positive impact on the engine performance.
Challenge
An engine inspection carried out jointly by Shell and Oldendorff Carriers’ engineers on the Beate Oldendorff revealed signs of over-lubrication. According to the findings, the need for regular cleaning could be reduced. Reducing the feed rate was recommended and was achieved very quickly.
Solution
Shell worked closely with the chief engineer to understand the operating conditions and lubrication needs. Switching to Shell Alexia S4 and monitoring wear on board with the Shell ANALEXAlert and Shell Rapid Lubricants Analysis services were proposed to help optimise the cylinder oil feed rate and manage engine wear.
Outcome
After running on Shell Alexia S4 for about 1,500 hours, and as part of a feed-rate reduction and performance-monitoring programme, the feed rate has been lowered to 1.2 g/kWh, to have positive impacts on engine performance and simplify maintenance.
Value
Through a close technical collaboration with Shell and a move to Shell Alexia S4, Oldendorff Carriers has cut cylinder oil costs by 33% to give savings of over US$320,000 a year.
1 Based on list price of Shell Alexia S4 in IPL 88. These calculations may vary from vessel to vessel, depending on, for example, the application, the operating conditions, the current products being used, the condition of the equipment and the maintenance practices.
2 Assuming 300 days of operation a year.