Turkish Shipowner Susesea Optimizes Vessel Operation with Chevron’s Taro Ultra Advanced 40
Turkish shipowner Susesea has taken a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency of its fleet of six bulk carriers by upgrading their cylinder lubrication strategy with Chevron’s Taro Ultra Advanced 40 (TUA 40). Working in collaboration with Chevron Marine Lubricants and regional distributor Petrol Ofisi, Susesea has successfully reduced cylinder oil feed rates by approximately 33%, resulting in both technical and commercial benefits.
The six bulk carriers in Susesea’s fleet, each with an average deadweight of 64,000 tons, are equipped with MAN Mark 9 engines. These two-stroke engines require high detergency lubrication to maintain piston and ring land cleanliness, especially when operating on very low sulfur fuels.
Prior to the upgrade, Susesea’s engineers followed a complex schedule of alternating between MAN Category I and Category II lubricants to meet the engine’s requirements. By transitioning to a single Category II 40BN product like Chevron’s TUA 40, Susesea has simplified onboard practices and enhanced procurement efficiency and long-term maintenance planning.
Chevron’s TUA 40 has now become the preferred choice for all six vessels in Susesea’s fleet. Bilge Kagan Dogan, Technical Manager at Susesea, highlighted the benefits of the switch, stating, “Upgrading to a single Taro 40 solution has improved our operational efficiency, allowing us to make bulk purchases in strategic ports and carry a full year’s supply. The Cat II 40BN oil has proven to deliver great value for performance.”
Technical Enhancements and Operational Benefits
As part of the implementation process, Susesea collaborated with Chevron and Petrol Ofisi to conduct scavenge port inspections at each port of call and monitor iron content and base number retention onboard. By gradually reducing feed rates in controlled increments, all six vessels achieved consistent operation at 0.8 g/kWh.
The results confirmed compliance with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cleanliness targets and showed improved piston ring and ring land condition across the fleet. Visual inspections reported enhanced scavenge cleanliness and liner condition, leading to reduced task complexity for onboard crews and improved inventory management and maintenance planning.
Georgia Chaloulou, Technical Field Specialist at Chevron Marine Lubricants, expressed satisfaction in supporting Susesea through the adoption of Taro Ultra Advanced 40. She emphasized Chevron’s commitment to providing tailored lubrication solutions based on practical, data-driven insights to meet each customer’s operational needs.
For more insights on Chevron’s marine lubricants, watch Maritime Reporter TV’s interview with Ayten Yavuz, GM of Chevron Marine Lubricants.