ILMA Compoundings - Jul/Aug 2021 - 17

By M. Diane
McCormick
In this worldview, biolubricants are
valued not only for their gentle touch
on earth and water but also for their
reduction of energy consumption and
emissions. Putting measurements on
those environmental benefits gets the
attention of corporations that are pinning
profitability and growth to their
environmental, social and governance,
or ESG, goals, said Jeff Hart, founder
and chairman of BioBlend.
BioBlend, maker of plant-based
environmentally acceptable lubricants
(EALs) and greases, is exploring the
keys to helping customers better focus
on biobased and renewable lubricants
and their benefits. " We're working
for a good understanding of what it
would take for these products to give
customers what they need in performance
and sustainability, " Hart said.
In addition to voluntary schemes
like the European Union's Ecolabel,
industry efforts to establish standards
for measuring sustainability include
certification processes for raw materials,
such as the Roundtable on
Sustainable Palm Oil Manufacturers'
Principles and Criteria Certification,
said Luzuriaga. Such policies address
raw-material procurement but are also
" adopting ways to reduce carbon foot " If
China had an interest in biolubricants, that would have
a tremendous impact on consumption of biolubricants
overall. It's a very cost-conscious market. Price is the
determinant there, but things are changing. "
Sharbel Luzuriaga, Project Manager, Energy/Petroleum Practice, Kline Group
print during manufacturing, maybe by
using renewable energy or packaging
that uses recycled plastic. "
The sustainability life cycle closes
with scrutiny of end use - whether
the product can reduce energy consumption
or emissions. Sustainability
offers a new way of defining quality
in lubricant products, said Luzuriaga.
" Recently, the market has witnessed
multiple claims of low-carbon/
zero-carbon lubricants where the footprint
is assessed on a different basis
or perspectives, such as renewable
content, high performance or reduced
energy consumption, and biodegradability
and zero toxicity, " he said.
Hart said his products have been
there when government regulations
called for lubricants that are safe for
environmentally sensitive areas, such
as hydropower plants in rivers rich
with aquatic life. Now, governmental
climate goals offer additional opportunity,
he said.
In California, renewable and
biolubricants could soon get the same
recognition currently bestowed on
re-refined oils as solutions toward
the state's goal of carbon neutrality
by 2045, Hart said. " It just takes
time for people to understand that
these products are as environmentally
friendly or more than the re-refined
oils that they're using for some of
those mandates. "
Biosynthetic Technologies manufactures
the biobased synthetic
compounds called estolides, with
uses in lubricants for metalworking,
automotive and other applications.
Increasingly, the company hears from
industrial companies whose boards
want to accelerate their ESG goals.
Markets and Governments
With the increased emphasis on
sustainability, biolubricants are carving
out new markets. In North America,
the current Vessel General Permit will
be supplanted by the Vessel Incidental
Discharge Act of 2018, and pending
standards offer opportunities to
present biolubricants as part of the
solution in marine applications.
In Europe, the transition to renewable
energy will " incur huge demands "
for lubricants in hydroelectric plants
and wind turbines, said Luzuriaga.
Offshore wind farms, especially, will
populate the environmentally sensitive
North Sea, making the North Atlantic
" a very important area where biolubricants
can be in good demand. "
17
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