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Prime Lube, Inc., one of the largest distributors of lubricants and anti-freeze in the US Mid-Atlantic, has announced that Atlantic Bulk Carriers of Wilmington, Del. has signed on to become a distributor of Prime Lube's BlueSky Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) on the Delmarva peninsula, which includes the eastern shore areas of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the few fuel contractors to hold a Letter of Adequacy from the U.S. Coast Guard to deliver fuel "over the water", Atlantic Bulk Carriers has the authority to pump fuels and lubricants from truck to ship, supplying diesel, heavy marine fuel oils, lubricants, jet fuel and gasoline to marine vessels and their on-board helicopters and airplanes.

The company serves private and commercial vessels, including cruise ships and bulk container vessels, as well as the federal government.

"Through it's partnership with Kruse, Prime Lube is able to supply us with the highest-quality DEF on the market," said Atlantic Bulk Carriers owner Stan Smith.

"BlueSky is API and ISO certified to assure us and our customers that they're getting a quality, effective product that meets their expectations for performance. This will allow us to meet the current demand for land-based DEF requirements and establish a strong position with infrastructure already in place to serve the marine market when the time comes."

All diesel-powered passenger and commercial vehicles produced after January 1, 2010 are required to incorporate selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology with DEF in order to meet new, lower nitrous oxide emission standards set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Beginning in 2014, DEF systems will be required on all newly-manufactured marine vessels as well. DEF is already mandated for European-based vessels coming into seaports served by Atlantic Bulk Carriers.

"European vessels coming into U.S. ports are hard-pressed to find DEF suppliers in order to refill their tanks, and they're prohibited from re-entering some European ports without the system in operation," said Prime Lube COO Robert Arbasetti. "This partnership with Atlantic Bulk Carriers will enable us to serve not only future domestic demand, but also provide refilling options for foreign vessels coming into our East Coast ports."

Smith says Prime Lube's regional manufacturing capacity enabled him to secure the most competitive pricing for the BlueSky DEF product, backed by the quality assurance standards of industry-wide certifications. Prime Lube's BlueSky DEF is ISO and API approved to help neutralize the nitrous oxide emissions generated through diesel exhaust.

In its most basic form, DEF is a blend of urea (derived from natural gas) and de-ionized water that combine to form ammonia, which turns nitrous oxide emissions into harmless water vapor and elemental nitrogen. It can even improve fuel economy for land vehicles up to 5 percent.