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Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has appointed Shell Marine to provide integrated marine lubricant solutions for the OOCL Hong Kong.

The OOCL Hong Kong is the latest vessel to claim the 'world's largest container ship' crown with a capacity of 21,413 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), measuring 400 metres in length and 59 metres in width. It is currently plying routes between Asia and Europe.

The ship is equipped with MAN Diesel & Turbo's (MDT) G-type engines that represent the latest in two-stroke engine technology.

"Protecting, maintaining and optimising marine engine performance at a time when engine technology is fast developing can be challenging and complex, particularly during a period when fuel selection and vessel speed requirements are also up for discussion. The G-type engine design used in the OOCL Hong Kong requires close oil performance monitoring and technical support and since the containership also needs to optimise its performance by tackling very challenging operating conditions, this means that selecting high-quality cylinder oil is of utmost importance," Shell Marine explained.

Drawing on its over 30-year track record with OOCL, Shell Marine says it laid out its portfolio of cylinder oil options to match the owner's operating profile and fuel grade expectations as well as to protect the main engine against cold corrosion and optimise feed rates.

"As a supplier, we have considerable experience with MDT's G-type engines. It was crucial that we shared our knowledge with OOCL at the outset, and that they could offer feedback in the dialogue that ultimately led to the optimal product selection," explained Jan Toschka, Shell Marine Executive Director.

In addition to Shell Marine's lubricants, Shell LubeMonitor has been deployed on the OOCL Hong Kong - which includes a cylinder oil condition monitoring service that uses shipboard and laboratory analysis to help optimise engine performance and enable predictive maintenance. The programme includes access to Shell tools and expert advice to help customers strike and maintain an acceptable balance between feed rate related cylinder oil costs and wear-related cylinder maintenance expenses. It is now enhanced with a new software package, Marine Connect, designed to transfer on-board analysis data to the Shell experts easily and securely.

"Working towards the selection of the right cylinder oils is a collaborative process that needs to satisfy engine-maker approvals, as well as the client's requirement for proven performance," Toschka remarked. "Our technical support needs to be based on the same principles, so that ship operators can monitor the condition of the oil and equipment in the field, and plan effectively when remedial action is necessary."

Toschka added: "At Shell Marine, we are committed to deliver the integrated approach which helps our customers to optimise their operations. We work closely with OEMs and with a vast variety of ship owners worldwide; this sheer breadth of experience helps when owners bring in a new engine type because we can engage with the customer at many different levels."