March 2021

HYDRAULICS 30 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS March 2021 www.hpmag.co.uk As businesses across all industries plan their recovery from COVID-19, sustainability is as high on the agenda as it has ever been. Leaders of these businesses are focused on strategies to improve operational sustainability and help navigate through the energy transition. For equipment operators, this means the challenge of finding cost- effective ways to improve their environmental credentials, while also meeting the ever-present demand for higher productivity. Describing the challenge of employing sustainable practices while increasing productivity as a ‘balance’, implies that there is a trade-off between the two. That where we see an increase in one, there will be an equal and opposite decrease in the other. This, however, does not have to be the case. Technology is allowing businesses to harness the power of sustainability; to optimise fuel efficiency and operational efficiency hand in hand, to decrease emissions and increase output. And it is not just the technology behind the machines that is improving in this way, but the fuels, oils and greases that go into them as well. Answering key sustainability challenges There is a growing category of biodegradable – or environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs) as they are often known – in the market today that are looking to answer some of the key sustainability challenges in industry. These oils, greases and hydraulic fluids are defined as fluids that are biodegradable, minimally or non-toxic and non-bioaccumulative. The use of these lubricants can often be mandated by government authorities in certain situations. There are third-party external certifications, such as EU Ecolabel, Green Public Procurement (GPP) and the USDA BioPreferred Program, that ensure these products hold up to their claims of biodegradability and minimal toxicity. These certifications are important as they can give businesses peace of mind that they are meeting regulatory requirements that pose a reputational and financial risk if not adhered to. EU-Ecolabel was established in 1992 to help educate consumers so they could make more sustainable purchasing choices and decisions. Recognised across Europe and worldwide, the EU Ecolabel is a stamp of environmental excellence that is awarded to products and services meeting high environmental standards throughout their lifecycle. New requirements from Eu Ecolabel mean products with this certification now have to have at least 25% recycled plastic in their packaging. The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is a lot more specific. This label displays a product’s biobased content, which is the proportion of a product that comes from renewable sources. Biobased products, through petroleum displacement, play an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Maintenance and protection Businesses in every sector want to protect the environment, while meeting the challenges of maintaining or increasing output, complying with rapidly changing legislation and defending their licence to operate. All of this requires the proper maintenance and protection of equipment. Biodegradable and environmentally acceptable lubricants can help on all fronts. As of February 2021, Shell’s biodegradable range of lubricants, Shell Naturelle, have gone another step beyond just being environmentally acceptable, meeting EU Ecolabel and USDA standards, and will now also be carbon neutral. Shell is working to avoid and reduce the emissions from the production of its lubricants; for example, by using a solar energy contribution to support lubricant manufacturing process. Shell is also reducing carbon intensity by using renewable raw materials to develop lubricants, such as fatty acids derived from vegetable oils. Then, for any emissions that cannot be completely avoided or reduced, the remaining CO2 equivalent emissions are offset using Shell’s global portfolio of nature-based solutions. Shell Naturelle presents an easy choice for industry. It protects equipment, the environment and productivity. Vernell Thompson, from the USDA BioPreferred Program, comments: “Products from Shell Lubricants are contributing to an ever-expanding marketplace that adds value to renewable agriculture commodities, creates jobs in rural communities, and decreases our reliance on petroleum.” www.shell.co.uk Balancing sustainability and productivity Troy Chapman, general manager of B2B industry and OEM marketing, Shell Lubricant Solutions. Troy Chapman: “Businesses in every sector want to protect the environment, while meeting the challenges of maintaining or increasing output, complying with rapidly changing legislation and defending their licence to operate.”