Castrol's marine division is urging legislators to produce even clearer guidelines on marine lubricants for the Polar region.
The call from the lube producer comes as shipping traffic in the Polar region increases and, with it, the potential for greater pollution from the ships themselves. While the financial savings to operators using the North West Passage route is without question, the cost to the fragile environment could be commensurately high.
Castrol is urging the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to tighten its guidelines on marine lubrication, in particular relating to oil-lubricated stern tubes which, according to resarch by Friends of the Earth and the World Wildlife Fund, could lead as much as 244,000 tonnes of pollution leaking into the open seas every year.
The IMO's Maritime Safety and Marine Environment Protection Committees, which drew up the guidlines, stopped short of completely banning oil-lubricated stern tubes, leaving a way out by stating: "Non-toxic, biodegradable lubricants are not considered to be pollutants”. Castrol believes this statement is far from clear and that the marine industry remains uncertain about the performance perameters of 'non-toxic boidegradable lubricants', with lubes producers often making misleading marketing claims.
Use of the Polar route can dramatically cut journey times by providing a shorter alternative to the Suez Canal and thus saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost of delivery. However, the environmental impact could rise dramatically if the pollution issue is not addressed quickly. While leak-free tube seals can be engineered into new design or re-fits, this is a costly option which, Castrol believes, is unlikely to be adopted by shipping companies any time soon unless forced by legislation.