Shell Marine Medium-Speed Engine Oil Cuts ICON Line's Costs

Shell Marine has provided clear evidence of the cost savings available when a customer chooses its medium-speed engine oil Shell Gadinia, after PT Indo Container Line (ICON Line) confirmed that reduced lubricant consumption led to longer oil-drain intervals and costs down by 58 percent.

Calculations made immediately after comparative trials for the Indonesian shipping line showed that a 58 percent cut in lubricant costs is available to ICON Line through the use of Shell Gadinia S3. Annualised, this is equivalent to saving USD 16,900 per vessel.

“We are delighted that following the change in oil, ICON Line vessels are operating more efficiently and more cost effectively,” says Eddie Chen, Shell Marine Regional Technical Manager, Asia Pacific. “After running engines using Shell Gadinia S3 40 for a period of time, independent laboratory tests confirmed that oil-drain intervals can be extended from 1,500 hours beforehand to 3,500 hours.” 

ICON Line had been seeking a way to extend intervals between engine oil draining and replenishment on three of its four container ships without compromising on performance. The aim was to cut costs while also improving operational efficiency and reliability by reducing the risk of unplanned downtime. After a technical assessment of ICON Line’s existing engine oil use, Shell Marine’s team and local distributor PT Cahaya Samoedera Bersaudara recommended trialing Shell Gadinia S3 40. In addition, a high level of performance has been demonstrated in real operations on a number of different engine makes and models, including Wärtsilä 8L20; MAN 8L21, Caterpillar MaK 8M20 and Bergen C25:33L6A.

Shell Gadinia S3 40 is a high-quality, multi-functional diesel engine lubricant which is particularly suited for medium-speed main or auxiliary engines burning fuels with sulfur contents up to one percent, protecting against oxidization and thermal degradation and minimizing lacquering. The engine oil can also help extend engine life by reducing deposit formation in the piston ring belt and cylinder liners, by reducing the risk of ring sticking and breakage.