If you‘re heading into US territorial waters, you must comply with regulations set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and outlined within the Vessel General Permit (VGP). Learn more about your options to become compliant, get full retrofit installation and commissioning support, improve operational safety, and keep costs down to a minimum.
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Solving the VGP challenge
Over the years, the rules contained within the VGP have become ever more stringent. Today, they strive to minimize water pollution and non-compliance can have serious consequences. A central requirement of the 2013 update has been the complete ban of direct oil-to-sea interfaces. This renders the use of older seals with mineral oil-based lubrication practically impossible. In general, there are two ways to solve this problem: either by replacing mineral-based lubricating oils with environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs), or by installing air seals.
How an Airspace sterntube seal works
Air seals use air chambers to perfectly separate seawater and oil—preventing oil from leaking into the sea and protecting against ingress of seawater into the sterntube. The Simplex Airspace by SKF is a “non-pollution” sterntube seal that doesn’t require the use of EALs and is certified by all major classification societies. It is built for excellent long-term performance and reliability with an additional automatic emergency backup seal system.
Watch the video to learn more about the functional principle.
Can’t I just use EALs?
That depends on the seals you currently have in use. But even if they support environmentally acceptable lubricants, you should keep in mind their high lifetime costs. In addition, using EALs can negatively impact the condition of the sealing rings and reduce their lifespan, e.g. caused by hydrolyses. Also, while mineral-based oil is readily available whenever you need it, you might encounter shortages in supply with EALs.
Isn’t a conversion too expensive?
In most cases, no. Replacing conventional sterntube seals with air seals during an upcoming dry docking phase even reduces lifecycle costs and increases operational reliability and safety. There is simply no need to refill expensive EAL.
What are the requirements my vessel has to fulfill?
The conversion process varies according to the design and specifications of your vessel. In some cases, a retrofit installation is not technically feasible. But, in any case, the SKF team can suggest the ideal solution for your situation.
How to become VGP compliant
The earlier you perform a conversion or retrofit, the more costs you save and the better you can rely on the operational safety of your seals. But what options are available for your vessel? Learn more in this overview.
Get an individual offer
Every vessel is unique. Find out how we can help you to become VGP-compliant and receive a no-obligation cost estimate.
From design to approval: Full-service VGP compliance
Conversions with VGP compliance in mind require expert knowledge and efficient handling. To keep docking time low, experience is essential – especially when your vessel features a unique technical design. Available space, existing piping, and class requirements all have to be considered before retrofitting for example the 4-ring aft sterntube seal system SKF Simplex Airspace (read the data sheet).
That’s exactly what we specialize in at SKF Marine. With a highly skilled team of specialists we take care of every detail from project management to execution to support and service. A single point of contact answers your questions and takes care of everything from design and installation to commissioning and class approval.
Airspace reference case: Lomar
Fully VGP-compliant while eliminating lube costs
As customer Lomar Shipping is discovering, a quick retrofit seems like a small price to pay for nearly eliminating a vessel’s expenditures on sterntube lubes – both in the sense of recurring opex, and the more nebulous risk of fines for VGP non-compliance
Lomar Shipping operates a fleet of around 70 vessels globally, including in North American coastal waters, where they are compelled to use costly VGP-friendly environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALS) in each of their vessel’s sterntubes. Instead of continuing to pay a high operating cost, Lomar was looking for a single capital investment which could permanently reduce those costs.
Stern discussion
After a discussion with SKF Marine surrounding the cost-pressure it faced thanks to the more stringent requirements of the VGP, Lomar Shipping selected the SKF-designed air seal system, Simplex Airspace, for nine of its vessels. As the name suggests, this system works to create a complete seal, an ‚airspace‘, with no „oil-to-sea interface“ possible. It allows the sterntube to remain effectively lubricated using mineral oil, without any of that lubricant being lost to the sea.
Sealed up tight
SKF service technicians and shipyard engineers managed to meet their target of retrofitting the new seals, as well as associated equipment such as control cabinets and draft sensors, completing work on each vessel within the drydockings. This included seven vessels: Kimolos Trader, Barry Trader, Antwerp Trader, Shanghai Trader, Puerto Rosario, Porto Leone and Sydney Trader. (At time of writing, two more Lomar vessels, Kalamata Trader and Texas Trader, are undergoing retrofit work.)
With the possibility of oil leaks prevented, it will not be necessary for Lomar Shipping to use a costly EAL just to meet with their environmental obligations, meaning that a much cheaper formulation of lube can be used without fear of fines – a fact recognized in the VGP.