Port of Cork Selects Castrol Marine Bio Range
The Port of Cork Company (PoCC), which operates Ireland’s premier south coast port, has agreed to use Castrol Marine‘s range of environmentally-responsible lubricants, to further reduce its environmental footprint and protect the sensitive waters in which it operates. Castrol Marine’s Bio Range of environmentally-responsible lubricants are designed for use throughout a vessel where leakage presents a risk.
The agreements cover the use of Castrol BioBar 46, a high specification, environmentally responsible hydraulic oil, which is being used in two key Port of Cork vessels, the Multi-cat work boat Denis Murphy and the tug boat Gerry O’Sullivan.
The Denis Murphy, one of four vessels of its kind in Ireland, is in high demand throughout Ireland and the UK. Its basic functions include towing, plough dredging, buoy handling and anchor handling. The manoeuvrability and draft of the vessel give it an advantage in tight working spaces, while the positioning instrumentation on the bridge ensures that work is carried out efficiently and in the right areas.
The Gerry O’Sullivan, the first Voith tug to operate in Cork Harbour, has proved extremely successful over the last 14 years. Fitted with a Voith-Schneider propulsion system, the tug has a bollard pull capacity of 50 tons, and is fitted with fire fighting equipment, classified as Fi-Fi 1. The tug is Lloyds registered to class +100 A1. BioBar 46 offers reduced environmental impact when compared to conventional hydraulic fluids, with superior biodegradation and significantly reduced bioaccumulation and toxicity.
Extended Oil Life
In addition to its environmental benefits, BioBar 46 delivers extended oil life proven in long field experience – up to 50%, when compared to conventional mineral oils. Its high viscosity index and low pour point allows start-up at low temperatures, and provides a thicker lubricating film and therefore enhanced component protection at high temperatures, with excellent wear and corrosion protection. The use of BioBar 46 complements the Port of Cork’s committed environmental management policy, which has several notable achievements to date. In 2006, Port of Cork developed an Environmental Management System certified to ECOPORTS Ports Environmental Review System (PERS) and compatible with the ISO 14001 approach. In 2007, PoCC was the overall winner in the IBEC Environmental Management Awards, and in July 2008 PERS recertification was achieved. In 2009, the Port of Cork attained ISO 14001 certification. Henry Kingston, Port of Cork Senior Maintenance Engineer said: “The Port of Cork recognises environmental management to be of equal importance to other prime business considerations. We are committed to leading the wider port community to minimise environmental impacts through co-ordinated environmental management, respecting the principles of environmental sustainability. BioBar 46 is another key factor in our pursuit of compliance with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and industry codes of practice.”
Leadership
David Bollard, Castrol Regional Account Manager, Marine & Power Generation, said: “Port of Cork demonstrates real leadership in marine industry environmental policy. Castrol is proud to further the port’s impressive record, while delivering the highest levels of performance to ensure the efficient operation of key vessels and continued competitiveness within the industry.”
Luigi Tedesco, Castrol Sales Director commented: “The marine industry faces increasing environmental legislation and public pressure to operate more sustainably. The Castrol Bio Range enables customers such as Port of Cork to pursue corporate responsibility while benefiting from greater equipment availability and avoiding unnecessary maintenance.”