News

Thordon Bearings has completed a range of water-lubricated and grease-free bearing installations to a third salt lugger in the Salinor/Navenor fleet, following the successful retrofitting of bearings to problematic newbuilds. The salt carrier Nossa Sra. das Das Vitorias was retrofitted with Thordon’s SXL propeller shaft bearings after just three weeks of operation, while sistership Dona Zita was retrofitted with RiverTough shaft bearings and hardened steel liners in 2016.

Thordon Bearings has advised its customers with newbuilds under construction to ensure they have the necessary documentation in place permitting operations in US waters prior to 18th December 2018. This advice follows the October 10th announcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency that the 2013 Vessel General Permit, due to expire in December 2018, will now be administratively continued till at least March 2019, when an updated version, VGP 3.0, will be introduced.

Thordon Bearings has signed sales and distribution agreements with St. Petersburg-based Industrial & Marine Projects (IMPRO) and Tallinn’s Marine Ecology Equipment (MEE), in a development that anticipates the introduction of more stringent pollution rules for European waterways.

One of the projects Canada’s Thordon Bearings is most proud to be associated with is that of the Mirabella V, which has been operating the company’s SXL and COMPAC bearings continually for more than 15 years.

Thordon Bearings confirmed it signed a new sales and distribution agreement during the recent SMM 2018 trade show in Hamburg, Germany. The agreement with Spain’s Echetalde, signed on 5th September, replaces the agreement with Thordon’s previous distributor in the region, Echelan Thor, following the retirement of its founder Pedro Echevarri, after 30 years of working with Thordon products.

Thordon Bearings has published a study highlighting the commercial and environmental benefits of seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing arrangements, indicating that shipowners can make substantial operational savings by giving up the outdated oil lubricated shaft.