Over 30% of cruise ships on order will have reduced operating costs and zero risk of oil discharges.
Of the 30 cruise ships that are currently on order, 1/3 of them will be equipped with seawater lubricated propeller shaft lines requiring no oil and no aft seal, eliminating high operating maintenance costs. Past users of this technology – Princess Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines began equipping their ships in 1998 and continue today with recent newbuildings using seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings. And now cruise lines such as Viking Ocean Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and MSC Cruises are also building ships with seawater lubricated shaft lines.
The operating costs for a seawater lubricated propeller shaft line include maintenance of the water flow pump and forward seal at a typical cost of US$5000 every 5 years. According to cruise industry experts, cruise ship owners with ships equipped with podded propulsion need to carry a spare pod, in case of emergency repairs.
When seawater lubricated propeller shaft lines are used rather than oil lubricated shafts or pods, operating costs are reduced substantially over the life of the vessel as there is no AFT seal, no lubricating oil, no storage of oil, no sampling of oil and no disposal of oil. Additionally, there are no costly seal repairs using seal repair companies that charge US$150,000 to US$300,000 per aft shaft seal repair. The performance record for Thordon’s COMPAC seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing systems has been excellent, with zero lost time due to the shaft line bearings failure.
The pollution of the world’s oceans and seas has also become a matter of increasing international concern for many. As stricter environmental legislation and improved pollution detection methods are becoming the norm in Canada, the United States of America, and the European Union, ship owners are looking for new ways to reduce all sources of pollution from their ships. Choosing seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings is just one of the ways ship owners can ensure future compliance with zero discharge legislation.