Turkish shipowner Susesea has successfully implemented a fleet-wide upgrade of its cylinder lubrication strategy, adopting Chevron’s Taro Ultra Advanced 40 (TUA 40) across six bulk carriers.
The transition, supported by Chevron Marine Lubricants and regional distributor Petrol Ofisi, has resulted in an estimated 33% reduction in cylinder oil feed rates, bringing both technical and commercial advantages.
The six Japanese- and Chinese-built bulk carriers, averaging 64,000 deadweight tons, are powered by MAN Mark 9 two-stroke engines, which require high detergency lubrication – particularly under very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO)conditions. Susesea previously employed a dual-lubricant strategy, alternating between Taro Ultra 40 (Category I) and Taro Ultra 100 (Category II) on a rotational schedule to meet OEM cleanliness standards. While effective, the approach was operationally complex.
By switching to a single Category II 40BN lubricant, Susesea has simplified onboard operations, enhanced inventory planning, and created new procurement efficiencies. Taro Ultra Advanced 40 has now become the standard lubricantacross the entire fleet.
“Upgrading to a single Taro 40 solution means that we can now complete large-scale purchases in strategic ports like Singapore and carry a full year’s supply. That has proven to be extremely efficient for our operations,” said Bilge Kagan Dogan, Technical Manager at Susesea.
“We initially decided to switch to Chevron Cat II 40BN cylinder oil based on two main advantages: improved cleaning performance compared to 100BN oils, and cost reduction. Altogether, Cat II 40BN oil has delivered great value for performance.”
Susesea changed from a two-oil strategy to a single-oil solution
Chevron’s TUA 40 is a MAN ES-approved, high-performance Category II 40BN lubricant designed for modern two-stroke marine engines. As part of the rollout, scavenge port inspections were carried out at each port of call. Key performance indicators such as iron content and base number retention were monitored onboard, ensuring compliance and equipment protection.
Through incremental feed rate adjustments of 0.1 g/kWh, all six vessels reached stable operation at 0.8 g/kWh – confirming compliance with OEM piston cleanliness requirements and improved piston ring and liner conditions.
The move also yielded notable operational gains. Visual inspections showed improved scavenge cleanliness, and crew workload related to lubrication management was significantly reduced. Maintenance scheduling and onboard inventory handling have since become more streamlined and error-resistant.
Chevron’s collaboration with Susesea highlights how simplifying from a two-oil strategy to a single oil solution can help technically focused operators meet the lubrication demands of modern engine architecture and VLSFO compliance, while improving cost efficiency.
“It was a pleasure working with Susesea to support their adoption of Taro Ultra Advanced 40,” said Georgia Chaloulou, Technical Field Specialist at Chevron Marine Lubricants. “By closely monitoring the results and managing each step together, we helped ensure a successful outcome. Chevron is committed to providing practical, data-driven lubrication solutions tailored to each customer’s operational needs.”
“We are grateful for the guidance from Georgia Chaloulou, who supported us throughout the process,” added Dogan. “Her expertise was instrumental in giving us confidence in the product.”
With this successful implementation, Susesea joins a growing number of operators turning to Category II 40BN oils to meet the demands of today’s regulatory and operational environment – backed by Chevron’s proactive technical support and field-proven performance.
