Shell Marine has officially launched Shell Alexia 140, a two-stroke engine cylinder oil whose exceptionally high base number aims to deliver the ultimate protection for the most modern efficient engines against cold corrosion issues and the means of optimising oil feed rates when fuel grades change.

The launch follows receipt of a No Objection Letter (NOL) for commercial use of Shell Alexia 140 from MAN Diesel & Turbo and coincides with Shell Alexia 140’s acceptance into full-scale operations by two major customers. Shell Alexia 140 is now available from the ports of Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Antwerp, Tanjung Pelepas, Busan and Salalah.

Shell Alexia 140’s wider potential was acknowledged in September 2016, when Shell Marine disclosed its selection as the first test oil for ‘ACOM’ – MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Automated Cylinder Oil Mixing process. Shell Alexia 140 joins Alexia S3 (BN25), Alexia S4 (BN 60), Alexia 50 (BN 70) and Alexia S6 (BN100), in a range covering fuel types from LNG to HSFO, operating regimes from full load to slow steaming, and engines of all ages.

“After 18 months of exhaustive laboratory testing and field trials, we are delighted to introduce Shell Alexia 140 formally to market,” says Jan Toschka, Shell Marine executive director. “Its combined characteristics make it the right choice whether the owner wants to protect ultra-efficient engines against cold corrosion or optimise feed rates across vessel operating conditions.”

“We welcome the always pioneering character of Shell Marine that resulted in this latest addition to its comprehensive range of two-stroke engine cylinder oils,” says Panos Deligiannis, Tankers technical director, Neda Maritime Agency. “Protecting our engines is critical, and matching the right cylinder oil with vessel operating profile and engine specific requirements is a crucial parameter for ship/engine worthiness and efficient maintenance, whatever the fuel grade being burned.”