Get ready for ‘new normal’, says Castrol boss

Castrol outlined that there needs to be an understanding that fuels and lubricants are intrinsically linked and that failure to consult and work in partnership with engine manufacturers, fuels and lubricant suppliers could lead to unintended consequences.

Kamuran Yazganoglu, managing director, global marine and energy, Castrol, explained. “Owners and operators will have to make sure that crews are constantly updated as to the choices that affect their day-to-day work and the risks associated with those choices, putting extra strain on those in the engine room and redefining practices in doing so,” he said.

“Change also impacts vessels on a technical level, as the intrinsic link between the fuel, the engine and the lubricant becomes ever-more significant,” he added.

Shipping operators should consider technical changes within the engine room in terms of training, hardware, and software, as well as fuels and lubricant procurement and application, with new pressures causing more operational strain on crews and vessels.

Mr Yazganoglu also pointed out that new regulation was not the sole driver of change, with new technologies and commercial pressures also prompting shifts to business. To make the most of the new culture for change in the industry, the sector must remain flexible and foresee future changes, particularly on an operational level.

“January 1, 2020 marks a turning point, not an end-point, on our journey towards compliant, efficient operations,” concluded Mr Yazganoglu.