Over 100 of the world’s leading shipping operators came together in Athens to attend a recent technical seminar hosted by Lubmarine, with the presence of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and TotalEnergies Trading and Shipping - a unique collaboration showcasing the Company’s approach to maritime decarbonization.
Bringing together insights from across TotalEnergies’ shipping value chain, the seminar offered attendees a comprehensive view of the evolving global, regulatory landscape, emerging fuel and lubricant solutions, as well as operational strategies to support the industry’s transition to net-zero.
Specific discussions centred around latest engine lubrication developments and strategies, operational optimization and engine efficiency, highlighting their key role in helping drive emissions reductions, together with new fuels.
During the event, four TotalEnergies’ speakers presented their approaches from various viewpoints.
“Athens is a key centre for global shipping, so we were delighted to welcome so many leading operators to our technical seminar. It was an opportunity for customers and prospects to hear our experts’ insights regarding the decarbonization landscape, and its current and future impact on operators.”
Christine Richard
General Manager Lubmarine
A Charterer’s Perspective on Futureproofing a Fleet
Ioanna Kosyfologou, Time Charter Party Products Charterer at TotalEnergies Trading and Shipping, opened the session looking at how regulatory pressure, fleet flexibility, safety and vetting considerations are shaping charterers’ decisions. She highlighted TotalEnergies’ vessel decarbonization projects, including dual fuel engine technologies (LNG, methanol, LPG), biofuels, rotor sails, batteries and air lubrication – as part of a diversified approach to futureproofing the fleet.
“As charterers, we are committed to working alongside with ship owners to drive innovation and lead the way in decarbonization initiatives. Together, we aim to pioneer transformative projects that support the maritime industry’s journey toward decarbonization.”
Ioanna Kosyfologou
Time Charter Party Products Charterer at TotalEnergies Trading and Shipping
Fueling the Future: TotalEnergies Marine Fuel’s (TEMF) Multi-Pathway Strategy
Frédéric Meyer, Head of Strategy & Projects, and Oguz Onalan, Head of Bunker Sales & Operations Europe & Africa Department, provided a deep dive into the latest regulations and bunkering solutions.
These included the regulatory and operational implications of IMO’s MEPC80 measures, the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and the start of a new Emission Control Area (ECA) in the Mediterranean that came into force on May 1st and the planned North-East Atlantic ECA Zone which comes into force in 2027.
They emphasized that while LNG remains a viable and valuable solution, mid-term-measures (MTM) will accelerate the need for biofuels and biogas.
TEMF also shared updates on its investment in the Marsa LNG project in Oman, and its proprietary fuel evaluation protocol for biofuels, which ensures new fuels meet stringent performance, safety, and sustainability criteria before deployment.
“The industry is no longer asking if alternative fuels are needed - the question now is how well we can scale them. At TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, we’re not just exploring options; we’re executing them. From LNG to advanced biofuels and biomethane, our solutions are already in operation, helping customers meet compliance while preparing for what’s next.”
Frédéric Meyer
Head of Strategy & Projects, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels
Lubricants for a Changing Fuel Mix
The latest Lubmarine solutions developed for new energies were introduced by Nikolaos Kotakis, Head of the Engine Oils Department at TotalEnergies Lubrifiants.
Nikolaos talked about the impact that the fuel mix evolution was having on lubricant manufacturers, covering the new regulatory framework, technological advancements (such as new engine designs) and new energy sources including new fuels.
For Lubmarine, this involves designing new lubricants to work with:
- Modern engine designs running at stringent operating parameters
- Diverse fuel options for lower carbon footprint
- More complex emission treatment systems (e.g. EGR, SCR, SOx scrubbers and Carbon capture)
all whilst meeting the need for greater cleanliness performance.
“The marine engine lubricant technology has evolved more in the past 10 years than in the previous fifty. We have put a lot of effort and emphasis on addressing those new challenges, while in parallel reducing the carbon footprint of our products, enhancing their fuel economy performance and ensuring their compatibility with next-generation marine engines running on alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia, LNG and advanced biofuels. Thanks to our redesigned sophisticated formulations, our today lubricants offer the premium performance necessary to serve their role as a critical enabler to the maritime decarbonization and energy transition.”
Nikolaos Kotakis
Head of the Engine Oils Department at TotalEnergies Lubrifiants
To highlight this, Nikolaos unveiled and introduced the latest lubricant solutions from Lubmarine including Disola Long Life 10W-40, allowing users of 4 stroke high speed marine engines to significantly extend their drain intervals. He also highlighted that Lubmarine is developing a new trunk piston engine oil, dedicated to the lubrication of gas engines dual fuel operated and homologated by major engine makers.
“Our goal for this Technical Seminar was to support our customers by sharing our combined knowledge and expertise to help them in further developing their own decarbonization strategies. Our brand tagline at Lubmarine is ‘Together we go further’ and this seminar was certainly a powerful reflection of that spirit,” added Christine.