18.05.2021

SUPPORTING THE WIND ENERGY SECTOR IN MEETING ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND DECARBONISATION CHALLENGES

The developing Offshore Wind Sector is comprised of many sub-sectors: Construction, Port Infrastructure, Hydraulics, Dredging, SOV's, ROV's and Power Generation, but they all have the same objectives – protecting the environment and reducing carbon emissions.

 

SELECTING A HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE LUBRICANT (EAL)
The PANOLIN Group is an independent family-owned company with headquarters and production facility in Switzerland. The company was established in 1949 by Bernhard Lämmle.
The company is a full-range lubricants supplier with core competence in high performing Environmentally Considerate Lubricants/Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (ECLs/EALs) since 1983 and operates internationally with fully owned subsidiaries and long-term distribution partners. Their products are not only approved by many OEM's but are also labelled with many eco-labels worldwide.

 

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

In industries such as Construction, Port Infrastructure, Hydraulics, Dredging, Offshore and Subsea, PANOLIN is a statement of advanced technology, environmental responsibility and safety.

 
PANOLIN SPRINT READILY BIODEGRADABLE HYDRAULIC FLUID
When the high-performance benefits and characteristics of PANOLIN HLP Synth and/or the very long oil change intervals or possibility of a lifetime fill offered by PANOLIN HLP Synth are not required, PANOLIN Sprint can fit as an interesting alternative.

• ECL/EAL Readily Biodegradable Hydraulic Fluid
• Ester-blend based on PANOLIN Ester Technology
• With modified Esters (Not comparable to common unsaturated Esters/PAO Technology)
• Good wear protection
• No deposits in hydraulic system – cleaning effect
• Good cold flow characteristics
• Good high pressure characteristics
• Up to 4,000 or more operating hours, depending on the temperature, pressure environment etc.

These high-performance lubricants are available worldwide through an extensive network of distributors and warehouses.

 

THE PANOLIN CONCEPT – CASE STUDY
Bibby Marine
The Vessel Manager at Bibby Marine explained: "The daughter craft 'Hannah' on Bibby Wavemaster 1 had an issue with seal leakage in a waterjet drive, after almost three years in operation.
"This is a small vessel routinely used in areas with shallow waters around windfarms and harbours. As such, Bibby Marine took the decision to replace the existing lubricant with a compatible EAL in order to minimise any potential harm to the environment as part of our ongoing green strategy.
"We chose PANOLIN HLP Synth 32 as it was the closest match to the specification provided by Almarin-jet, the makers of the waterjet drives on the boat.
"The lubricants were changed in late 2020 and so far the drives have operated flawlessly. As such, we will be looking at PANOLIN EAL's in other areas as we make the move away from mineral oils."

 

COVID PANDEMIC
Throughout the Covid crisis PANOLIN has taken very strict measures to fight the Coronavirus and maintain the health of all employees in the workplace, while also ensuring that production was not compromised. As a result, most office staff have been working from their home offices, and in the production and laboratory work is carried out in 'critical process teams', to ensure safe operations. 

This allowed them to keep blending and supplying valued customers without interruption while at the same time ensuring there was no direct interface between employees.

 
OTHER SERVICES
PANOLIN offers expert technical support and advice worldwide. The company is happy to provide advice on selecting the right product for specific applications, seal compatibility, flushing procedures and miscibility.
PANOLIN holds significant stocks of key grades within the UK and worldwide at strategic locations. The company also offers an analysis service for used biodegradable lubricants to support customers' planned maintenance programmes, which...
...Saves money
...Increases performance
...Protects the environment
 
Source: Wind Energy Network, Issue 58 - 2021, www.windenergynetwork.co.uk/