07AUG2019 - NEWS - Owners and OEMs on the way forward post 2020

Shipowners and shipmanagers of varying size met with leading OEMs at a Shell Marine roundtable in Oslo to discuss preparedness when it comes to fuels and lubricants in the run up to and after 2020

Fuel and lube availability, engine performance inspections, testing and a crew’s ability to respond to fuel-related stoppages, all were cited as key concerns among the owners and operators participating in a Shell Marine roundtable, themed ‘owners and operators at the fuels and lubes crossroads’ held recently in Oslo.

The discussions brought together a cross-section of owners, operators and leading OEMs for an open dialogue moderated by Riviera’s head of content, Edwin Lampert.

Looking at the challenges facing vessel owners and operators, OEMs and the suppliers over the next few months, Shell Marine global technical manager Sara Lawrence emphasised that monitoring and feeding back fuel and lubricant data would be critical for managing the transition successfully. “The number of vessels out there that are simply doing no monitoring at all is still staggering,” she said.

However, early exchanges in the open forum centred on the merits of scrubber technology. The common view was that the technologies have their place as a marginal solution for mitigating the challenges ahead.