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Total Lubmarine has received a no objection letter from MAN Diesel & Turbo for the use of its BN 100 cylinder lubricant, Talusia Optima, in the engine manufacturer's two-stroke engine designs.

The move follows the completion of an 8,700-hour sea trial and means that Talusia Optima is now approved by three major two-stroke engine manufacturers: Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), Japan Engine Corporation (JEC) and MAN Diesel & Turbo.

Talusia Optima has been designed specifically to facilitate fuel switching when transiting both in and out of Emission Control Areas (ECAs), without the need to change lubricants. The lubricant has been designed for use alongside all distillate fuels with a sulphur content of between 0 and 3.5%.

The sea-trials were completed on board a 14,000-TEU containership powered by the latest-generation, fuel-efficient, two-stroke 11S90ME-C mark 10.2 B&W engine while sailing in and out of ECAs in Europe and Asia. The vessel sailed for more than 600 hours in ECAs powered by distillate fuels with a sulphur content of 0.1% and below.

Talusia Optima is based on a new technology known as Ashfree Neutralizing Molecules (ANM), which is said to provide effective acid neutralization, cylinder cleanliness and the potential to reduce feed rates.

Total Lubmarine's Technical Director Jean-Philippe Roman remarked: "This was our longest ever trial of a new lube and provides both customers and OEMs with the reassurance that Talusia Optima can be safely used on board vessels trading for lengthy periods in and out of ECAs. The sea trial and comprehensive validation tests were carried out using a combination of our already approved cylinder oils, Talusia LS 25 and Talusia Universal 100. This allowed for the inspection teams to compare and contrast the performance of the new Talusia Optima product. The results demonstrated the cleanliness of the engine when used with low and high sulphur fuels in and outside the ECAs, and the better efficiency to minimize the liner wear."

Serge Dal Farra, Total Lubmarine's Global Marketing Manager, noted: "We are pleased with the results of the test. The development of Talusia Optima was as a direct result of the challenges our customers were experiencing and their need for a unique product to meet the complexity of shipping operations in the changing regulatory environment. Together with our research and development team, we pride ourselves on developing products that meet the customer needs and the rapidly changing marine industry requirements."