ExxonMobil is committed to helping vessel operators meet their business and environmental objectives. The Mobil SHC Aware™ family of high-performance synthetic environmentally acceptable lubricants is specially formulated to provide optimal protection for shipboard equipment affected by the 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP).
Each product in the Mobil SHC Aware family meets or exceeds VGP requirements for environmentally acceptable lubricants and is engineered to deliver advantages that customers and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) around the globe expect from Mobil SHC synthetic lubricants.
Vessel General Permit legislation
On 19 December 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new VGP takes effect. The 2013 VGP provides the practices and procedures for commercial vessels to comply with the Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
The legislation mandates that commercial vessels built on or after 19 December 2013 and measuring at least 79 feet/24 metres in length, use environmentally acceptable lubricants in all oil-to-sea interfaces whilst operating in U.S. waters. Commercial vessels built before 19 December 2013 must also comply, unless the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants is technically infeasible.
Affected equipment
The permit affects a wide range of equipment, including:
stern tubes
controllable pitch propellers
stabilisers
rudders
thrusters
azipods
towing notch interfaces
wire ropes
Whilst not mandated by the VGP, the EPA also strongly encourages the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants in all above deck equipment to further reduce risk to the environment.
Mobil SHC Aware products will help your company comply with EPA regulations whilst keeping your equipment protected and performing reliably.
* Environmentally acceptable lubricants are defined in the VGP as lubricants that are biodegradable, minimally toxic and are not bioaccumulative.
Complying with the 2013 Vessel General Permit >>