TotalEnergies' marine lubricants division, Lubmarine, has launched a new marine lubricant that it says can help shipowners reduce fuel consumption and operating costs.

The product, Aurelia FE, is a trunk piston engine oil designed for four-stroke medium-speed marine engines, the company said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Laboratory testing demonstrated fuel savings of 1.5% compared with an equivalent reference lubricant over the IMO E3 test cycle, a standardized engine test cycle used to measure exhaust emissions and fuel performance in marine diesel engines. The testing method was independently approved by classification society Bureau Veritas.

According to TotalEnergies, field tests have also indicated the potential for higher savings in real-world vessel operations.

Aurelia FE can be introduced without any equipment modifications or vessel downtime, allowing operators to pursue fuel savings without altering their existing engine setup. That drop-in characteristic sets it apart from capital-intensive decarbonization pathways such as engine retrofits or alternative-fuel conversions, which typically require significant investment and time out of service.

The lubricant is backed by more than 100,000 hours of service experience and has received approval from a leading global marine engine OEM, TotalEnergies said.

The company also noted that lower fuel consumption can contribute to reductions in CO2 emissions, a growing priority for the shipping industry as it faces tightening international emissions regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Fuel is typically one of the largest operating cost items for shipowners, so even modest percentage gains in consumption can translate into meaningful savings across a fleet.

"At Lubmarine, we are committed to developing solutions that create value for our customers while supporting the shipping industry's decarbonization," said Louise Tricoire, Vice-President of TotalEnergies Lubmarine.

Source: Ship & Bunker