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From July 1, 2010 ships operating in the EU Emission Control Area (ECA) must burn fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 1 percent, down from the previous limit of 1.5 percent.

Marine lubricant supplier Total Lubmarine claims it has the only lubricant product in the marketplace that is able to operate successfully in engines running on heavy fuel oils with sulphur levels below 1 percent and above 4 percent.

According to Total Lubmarine, ships using the company's Talusia Universal cylinder oil do not need to switch lubricants when moving in and out of the ECA.

Lubmarine Marketing Manager Patrick Havil commented, "Talusia Universal sales have increased by 90 percent this year alone. Now, one in every two of our customers uses Talusia Universal. It is used by all types of vessels, including cargo ships, tankers, container vessels, and ro-ros. At Total, we have never before seen such a high level of customer satisfaction."

Lubmarine points out that whilst it was possible to operate using traditional BN 70 lubricants at sulphur levels of 1.5 percent and above, engine manufacturer guidelines state that lower number BN lubricants must be used with fuels containing under 1 percent sulphur in order to prevent excess deposits and engine wear and scuffing.

"The solution offered by most major lubricant suppliers is the use of two different lube oils according to the sulphur content of the fuel being burnt by the vessel. For ship operators this gives rise to a host of complex operational issues not least additional storage capacity, crew training and on-board procedure requirements. A one-lubricant solution avoids these problems," Lubmarine said.

The patented Talusia Universal from Total Lubmarine has been approved by all engine manufacturers for use with high and low sulphur content fuels.

This 'one-stop solution' is said to provide important cost, efficiency and safety benefits for shipowners, thus eliminating the risk of engine damage from mismatch between different cylinder oils.

"Unlike other lubricant solutions, Talusia Universal requires no deviation from business as usual operations when entering or leaving an ECA," Lubmarine added.