Another industry first... 15-Year Rudder Bearing Guarantee for Newbuilds

For Immediate Release - November 2004

In 1993, Thordon Bearings was the first company to introduce a 10-Year Rudder Bearing Wear Life Guarantee to commercial ship owners and managers. After 11 years of ongoing product improvements and over 4000 rudder bearings installed worldwide, Thordon is boldly re-confirming the confidence in the performance of SXL rudder bearings by introducing a guarantee period of 15 years.

"When moving oil by sea," says Stan Taylor, Technical Manager for BP, "our philosophy everywhere in the world has always been on safety." In fact, it is an expressed business policy of BP to aim "...to do no damage - to people, or to the environment."

During the design phase of the vessels, BP was determined to leave no stone unturned in its quest to minimize the risk of oil leakage. This included building in multiple redundant systems, and eliminating the use of oil wherever possible. "The prop shaft is an area where, traditionally, some lubricating oil can leak into the sea," says Taylor. "So we needed to look for alternatives."

Traditionally, propeller shaft bearings on commercial tankers are made of white metal lubricated by oil. Although these systems work well, keeping the oil and water separate can be a challenge. If seawater contaminates the bearing area, prop shaft performance can be compromised. If oil escapes into the sea, that's pollution. "Even a small leakage from the prop shaft," says Taylor, "can result in a visible sheen when in port."

This is one of several reasons that made Thordon's pollution-free alternative so appealing.

The Thordon COMPAC propeller shaft bearing systems now being installed on each of the BP vessels feature water lubrication (a renewed innovation pioneered for the 21st century by Thordon), no use of oil (and therefore zero risk of pollution), and an expected minimum 10-year bearing wear life based on systems currently in operation.

To ensure a steady supply of abrasive-free seawater to the bearings, Thordon also supplied its integrated Water Quality Package. This maintenance-free system includes pumps, flow alarms and a separator capable of eliminating particles down to 50 microns from the seawater lubricating the bearings.

"The Thordon system is the perfect choice for BP," says Taylor, "because its pollution-free characteristics are consistent with the design philosophy of the ships." The first vessel is due to launch in Spring 2004 and, because of a dedication to protecting the environment, these ships are set to carry oil by sea, safely, for decades to come.