Innovation, sustainability and an eye for detail
Building increasingly bigger offshore installations far away from the coast in water depths from 20m to 40m can be an ambitious task. In order to protect the fragile ecosystem of the North Sea, contamination has to be kept to a minimum, for example by using environmentally sound lubricants. The performance of such lubricants, however, has to at least match that of conventional lubricants.
One of the technically most demanding construction vessels is the Innovation, operated by HGO InfraSea Solutions of Bremen. Since September 2012, this vessel has been in use in the North Sea for the German deep-water project Global Tech I – a wind farm with a total of 80 planned wind turbines on an area of 41 km².
With a heavy-duty crane weighing 1,500t and with handling capacity up to 8,000t, the Innovation builds offshore wind turbines of over 120m in height and an output of more than 6MW each, and to fix heavy foundations in water depths down to 50m. The vessel is equipped with a four-leg jacking system, with 96 pinions, and able to lift the 30,000t displacement ship 10m to 20m above the water surface.
“As a ship owner and operator we are committed to safety and sustainability”, says Karsten Müller, technical director of HGO InfraSea Solutions. “Therefore, when looking for a lubricant for the gear drive of the Innovation’s jacking system, we attached great importance not only to excellent wear protection but also to high environmental compatibility.”
As the lubricated racks of the jacking system are in contact with seawater, it is essential to use an environmentally sound lubricant. Klüber’s newly developed Klüberbio LG 39-700 for open gears was selected. “An important criterion for selecting this lubricant was its environmental compatibility, which we as a shipping company feel committed to. At the same time this lubricant ensures very good tribological conditions where the pinions mesh with the tooth racks. We expect this product to ensure long-term protection of the complex design”, said Mr Müller.
HGO tested Klüberbio LG 39-700 on a rack-and-pinion rig under real pressure conditions over two months Klüberbio 39-700, with solid lubricants and additives, has been found to outperform other lubricants in protection of open pinion drives. This extends the useful life of pinions and racks, and contributes to reduced operating costs. The biodegradability of the base oil of Klüberbio LG 39-700 is over 60% after 28 days according to OECD 301B, and it is made exclusively from renewable materials. High viscosity index makes the lubricant suitable for a wide temperature range, and high adhesion ensures low consumption.
“The new Klüberbio LG 39-700 is a real innovation”, explains Dirk Fabry, Market Manager Maritime and Offshore Industry at Klüber Lubrication. “There is no other special grease on the world market offering such excellent performance characteristics with a very high percentage of renewable and thus environmentally compatible raw materials we are aware of.”
