How to develop lubricants for future fuels

Using future fuels and engines is driving change in the marine lubricant sector, increasing the need for validation and regular testing, with original engine manufacturers (OEMs) working closely with fuel and lubricant suppliers.

Lubricants must be thoroughly tested by OEMs to ensure they meet the characteristics required for optimal engine performance and to mitigate issues. Once in operation, it is important to continue monitoring oil condition to maintain performance and detect issues before they result in failures.

This was discussed at Riviera’s Lubricants for conventional and emerging marine fuels webinar, which was held on 20 June 2025, with sponsorship from Chevron.

On the panel were Chevron manager for global marine lubricant support and technology Baskaran Balakrishnan, Richful Additives global technical manager Mark Brighty, VPS commercial director for Europe, John MacKenzie, and WinGD lead engineer Jurgen Binder.

They agreed partnerships are key to engineering lubrication across diverse engine types and fuels, to gain insights to develop tailored solutions that support the safe, efficient operation of engines powered by emerging fuels.

Mr Balakrishnan discussed the marine fuels now being used, such as distillates, biofuels and LNG-sourced methane gases, and the emerging fuels methanol, ethanol, ammonia and hydrogen.

“Alternative fuels will play a major role, and many are being tested now,” he said. “But there are concerns over future fuels.”

Lubricants can support the development and operation of single and dual-fuel engines, improving efficiency and engine performance. “Lubricants should be compatible and work with various fuels on board. They should have OEM endorsements,” said Mr Balakrishnan. “We do field validations and work with OEMs with engine testing using our lubricants.” This includes bench tests, field validations and ship trials.

He said there is a demand for fuel-agnostic lubricants that can work with dual-fuel engines using both distillates and LNG gaseous fuels. “There is a need for fuel-agnostic lubricant solutions, enabling switching between fuels, that are validated for biofuels and LNG, then methanol and ammonia,” Mr Balakrishnan said.  

“These can extend maintenance periods, reduce issues, improve fuel efficiency and enable a longer life for aftertreatment devices.”

Lubricants do more than lubricate; they also neutralise acidity, prevent corrosion and engine wear and cool components. When monitored, they can also indicate engine issues before they become operational concerns.

“Oil condition monitoring is key for detecting potential failures at an early stage, and for measuring equipment performance,” said Mr Balakrishnan. “Onshore and offshore testing is critical for getting vital information on engine operations.”

Chevron has developed HDAX 9700 as a fuel-agnostic lubricant for use with dual-fuel engines combusting LNG and marine distillates without needing any oil changes when fuel switching.

Mr MacKenzie agreed there are different fuel mixes which require regular testing and monitoring. “There are many unknowns when managing lubricants across a multi-fuel fleet – no two fuels are the same,” he said. “Owners are constantly dealing with the impact of variations and having to overcome and manage changes.”

The current demand for biofuels, whether it is hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or other types of biodiesels, also comes with concerns about their sources and sustainability, and how they could impact engine components and fuel treatment equipment such as oil filters.