Thordon Bearings and Drydocks World-Dubai have signed an agreement, in order to promote the conversion of ships’ oil lubricated propeller shafts to Thordon’s COMPAC open seawater lubricated bearing system.
Under the agreement, a team comprised of Drydocks World-Dubai and Thordon Bearings’ personnel, will help ship managers and owners to ensure their vessels are fully compliant with environmental legislation, prohibiting the discharge of oil from the oil-to-sea interface of ships’ propeller shafts. Thordon Bearings will also provide equipment, training and guidance to Drydocks World-Dubai personnel.
Mohammad Rizal, COO of Drydocks World-Dubai, said: “With concerns increasingly being raised about the impact oil discharges have on the marine environment, converting an oil lubricated system to seawater is the only guaranteed solution for today and tomorrow.”
As Thordon explains, leaking shaft seals are known to be a significant contributor to on-going pollution at sea. The use of biodegradable lubricants, which are an improvement over mineral oils, are still a very expensive option for shipowners and some are having seal compatibility issues. Even biodegradable lubricants still need to be reported to authorities when discharges occur. The solution provided uses seawater as the lubricant that meets all regulations, eliminating risks of oil pollution.
In addition, it is noted that seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing systems are less complicated and time-consuming to install than oil lubricated systems, as there are fewer components, fewer pipe-runs and no air equipment is required.