A closer look on how the lubricant industry promises to provide better quality of lubricants in the power sector   
 For the constant supply of the energy, the power generation sector has to run 24/7 a day. Due to its continuous use, there is a tendency, when machines can slow down the speed. This is where lubricant plays an important role. Lubricants are oil or grease that reduces the friction between moving parts, by enhancing the speed and efficiency. It also reduces interruptions. Number of sectors require lubricants, but the level of consumption is more in power sector. Proper selection of lubricants as well as care for the lubricant systems is essential part of power plant programme.
The lubricant industry has gone through changes for the past few years and it is expected to surge. To drive the market at a high level, proper lubrication management is must for the Indian Industry. To bring better output, the companies are focusing on research and development and investing more on the same.
Lubricants for power generationIn a world of increasing demand for energy and diminishing spare capacity in existing power grids, keeping industry moving is more challenging than ever before. As the need of power will increase, ultimately the need for lubricants for power sector will also increase. Regular consumption of lubricant by the power industry is increasing its market value.  The market is expected to grow rapidly. Total Lubricants, SKF India, Castrol, Shell Lubricants, Gulf Oil, ExxonMobil India are some of the major players in lubricants industry.   
Imtiaz Ahmed, Asia Pacific Mobil SHC Brand Manager, ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd. says, “According to a study by Kline & Company, the overall lubricant consumption in India is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5 per cent over the next five years. The consumer segment is expected to grow the fastest at a projected 6.6 per cent per year, while the commercial and industrial lubricant segments will exhibit a moderate growth of 2.3 and 1.6 per cent per year, respectively. The study further states that Industrial lubricant is the largest market segment in India, accounting for over 54 per cent of the total market. Power generation, chemicals, automotive and other manufacturing, railways, marine, and metals are the leading end-use industries, together accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the industrial lubricant consumption.”
To drive the market smoothly, the lubricant companies need to bring high quality lubricants and lubricants practices is very essential.  Backed by strong technology with superior products and technical services.  Describing on the shell lubricant range, Akhil Jha, Vice President Technical, Shell Lubricants India states, “Shell’s specialised product portfolio helps reduce power-engine maintenance time with extended-life oils, improve efficiency to increase combined-cycle turbine output and increase the reliability of remote wind turbines which can further lead to substantial savings by improving equipment availability, extending oil-drain intervals and improving engine cleanliness.”
Utilisation of lubricants The key to any successful operation is productivity. Selection of the right oil helps equipment perform under the most demanding conditions and has a direct impact on the reliability and profitability of a power generation operation. Unplanned outages from lubrication failures result in costly downtime and possible equipment damage. Modern steam and gas turbines subject the turbine lubricant to even greater demands. Issues such as higher temperatures in bearings, reduction in residence times and varnish deposits have become critical concerns.
ExxonMobil’s industrial lubricants are designed to help enhance equipment reliability and uptime. They are also engineered for the oil and gas exploration and production industries. Mr Ahmed shares, “ExxonMobil lubricants are expertly formulated to help reduce maintenance costs, extend oil drain intervals and deliver exceptional protection for key components, even under the extreme weather and load conditions common in many power-generating applications.”
Complete utilisation of equipment, sometimes even beyond their useful life or deterioration of the equipment in standby conditions. The lubricants are required to perform or protect in both these conditions to keep the equipment always in running condition. Frequent re-lubrication for some of the equipments is really a challenge. In fact for critical applications like turbines, lubricant change is not done for years together, sometimes even decade; only required top up is carried out at frequent intervals.
According to Ravi Chawla, Managing Director of Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd, the stand-by systems can be useful during any problem. He says, “Power plants are critical applications which essentially needs to be operate 24 x 7 and any disruption can have catastrophic implications. Hence any downtime due to equipment maintenance issues is highly undesirable or next to impossible. In case of any maintenance, usually stand-by systems are kept available to avoid any kind of interruption.”
lubricants and their application areas Gulf Oil in its portfolio has a range of products meeting the specific requirements. Some products intended for critical applications also carry key manufacturer approvals. They also have an array of products suitable for range of residual fuel and natural gas engines used in power generation.
Shell Lubricants’ power product portfolio includes power engine oils,  turbine oils,  electrical oils, gear oils, heavy-duty diesel engine oils, hydraulic oils, and greases.
ExxonMobil develops high-performance synthetic oils and greases for both mobile and plant equipment.
Competitive scenarioCompetition is driving the companies to innovate high quality new products in the market. Day-by-day, research and developments have been done to offer best solutions to the clients. Innovation, product application and technical partnership are the heart of any company. The companies aims to help in finding practical solutions to the challenges faced by their customers by working closely with them. The companies strive to develop and provide next generation of lubricants that will deliver improved energy efficiency and better performance for customers without any compromise. Mr Jha claims, “Shell remains the global market leader having achieved 13 per cent  of total market share in 2014. To maintain this leading position Shell Lubricants rely on a large number of Shell Lube Experts.” Shell Lubricants employs 350 experts and product application specialists in more than 70 countries. “Shell Lubricants invests heavily in lubricant R&D which has allowed us to be ‘first to market’ with a number of lubricants innovations and value-added services. We have a patent portfolio with over 150 patent series for lubricants, oils and greases,” Mr Jha claims.
Commenting on why their lubricants have edge over competition, Mr Ahmed says, “We take a holistic approach that goes beyond selling just products and offer our customers the opportunity to meet their diverse goals and needs including improving equipment performance, enhancing energy efficiency and, most importantly, maximising their productivity.”
Future roadmap When asked about ExxonMobil’s  future roadmap as far as Indian power sector is concerned, Mr Ahmed, says, “We have  plans and strategies in place, which is working  well in the current  market scenario.  The industry is responding positively to the technology that we bring in. We have introduced energy efficient lubricants range in the country, which has received extremely good response—whether it is plastic injection moulding machines,  gear boxes, bearings or other high output hydraulic packs etc.  As the power generation industry continues to develop in India and around the world, Mobil Industrial Lubricants will continue to support its customers in achieving their strongest productivity and cost savings objectives.”
Mr Jha briefs, “We have a wide range of lubricants designed to meet the demanding needs of energy efficiency and superior reliability. This range includes the latest-technology synthetic products for Shell’s ultimate performance for all power plant machinery.”_______________________________We have a wide range of lubricants designed to meet the demanding needs of energy efficiency and superior reliability.
Akhil Jha, Vice President Technical, Shell Lubricants India____________________________________
We take a holistic approach that goes beyond selling just products…
Imtiaz Ahmed, Asia Pacific Mobil SHC Brand Manager, ExxonMobil Lubricants________________________________
Power plants are critical applications which essentially needs to be operate 24 x 7 and any disruption can have catastrophic implications.
Ravi Chawla, Managing Director,  Gulf Oil Lubricants India_____________________________

A closer look on how the lubricant industry promises to provide better quality of lubricants in the power sector   
 For the constant supply of the energy, the power generation sector has to run 24/7 a day. Due to its continuous use, there is a tendency, when machines can slow down the speed. This is where lubricant plays an important role. Lubricants are oil or grease that reduces the friction between moving parts, by enhancing the speed and efficiency. It also reduces interruptions. Number of sectors require lubricants, but the level of consumption is more in power sector. Proper selection of lubricants as well as care for the lubricant systems is essential part of power plant programme.
The lubricant industry has gone through changes for the past few years and it is expected to surge. To drive the market at a high level, proper lubrication management is must for the Indian Industry. To bring better output, the companies are focusing on research and development and investing more on the same.
Lubricants for power generationIn a world of increasing demand for energy and diminishing spare capacity in existing power grids, keeping industry moving is more challenging than ever before. As the need of power will increase, ultimately the need for lubricants for power sector will also increase. Regular consumption of lubricant by the power industry is increasing its market value.  The market is expected to grow rapidly. Total Lubricants, SKF India, Castrol, Shell Lubricants, Gulf Oil, ExxonMobil India are some of the major players in lubricants industry.   
Imtiaz Ahmed, Asia Pacific Mobil SHC Brand Manager, ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt. Ltd. says, “According to a study by Kline & Company, the overall lubricant consumption in India is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5 per cent over the next five years. The consumer segment is expected to grow the fastest at a projected 6.6 per cent per year, while the commercial and industrial lubricant segments will exhibit a moderate growth of 2.3 and 1.6 per cent per year, respectively. The study further states that Industrial lubricant is the largest market segment in India, accounting for over 54 per cent of the total market. Power generation, chemicals, automotive and other manufacturing, railways, marine, and metals are the leading end-use industries, together accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the industrial lubricant consumption.”
To drive the market smoothly, the lubricant companies need to bring high quality lubricants and lubricants practices is very essential.  Backed by strong technology with superior products and technical services.  Describing on the shell lubricant range, Akhil Jha, Vice President Technical, Shell Lubricants India states, “Shell’s specialised product portfolio helps reduce power-engine maintenance time with extended-life oils, improve efficiency to increase combined-cycle turbine output and increase the reliability of remote wind turbines which can further lead to substantial savings by improving equipment availability, extending oil-drain intervals and improving engine cleanliness.”
Utilisation of lubricants The key to any successful operation is productivity. Selection of the right oil helps equipment perform under the most demanding conditions and has a direct impact on the reliability and profitability of a power generation operation. Unplanned outages from lubrication failures result in costly downtime and possible equipment damage. Modern steam and gas turbines subject the turbine lubricant to even greater demands. Issues such as higher temperatures in bearings, reduction in residence times and varnish deposits have become critical concerns.
ExxonMobil’s industrial lubricants are designed to help enhance equipment reliability and uptime. They are also engineered for the oil and gas exploration and production industries. Mr Ahmed shares, “ExxonMobil lubricants are expertly formulated to help reduce maintenance costs, extend oil drain intervals and deliver exceptional protection for key components, even under the extreme weather and load conditions common in many power-generating applications.”
Complete utilisation of equipment, sometimes even beyond their useful life or deterioration of the equipment in standby conditions. The lubricants are required to perform or protect in both these conditions to keep the equipment always in running condition. Frequent re-lubrication for some of the equipments is really a challenge. In fact for critical applications like turbines, lubricant change is not done for years together, sometimes even decade; only required top up is carried out at frequent intervals.
According to Ravi Chawla, Managing Director of Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd, the stand-by systems can be useful during any problem. He says, “Power plants are critical applications which essentially needs to be operate 24 x 7 and any disruption can have catastrophic implications. Hence any downtime due to equipment maintenance issues is highly undesirable or next to impossible. In case of any maintenance, usually stand-by systems are kept available to avoid any kind of interruption.”
lubricants and their application areas Gulf Oil in its portfolio has a range of products meeting the specific requirements. Some products intended for critical applications also carry key manufacturer approvals. They also have an array of products suitable for range of residual fuel and natural gas engines used in power generation.
Shell Lubricants’ power product portfolio includes power engine oils,  turbine oils,  electrical oils, gear oils, heavy-duty diesel engine oils, hydraulic oils, and greases.
ExxonMobil develops high-performance synthetic oils and greases for both mobile and plant equipment.
Competitive scenarioCompetition is driving the companies to innovate high quality new products in the market. Day-by-day, research and developments have been done to offer best solutions to the clients. Innovation, product application and technical partnership are the heart of any company. The companies aims to help in finding practical solutions to the challenges faced by their customers by working closely with them. The companies strive to develop and provide next generation of lubricants that will deliver improved energy efficiency and better performance for customers without any compromise. Mr Jha claims, “Shell remains the global market leader having achieved 13 per cent  of total market share in 2014. To maintain this leading position Shell Lubricants rely on a large number of Shell Lube Experts.” Shell Lubricants employs 350 experts and product application specialists in more than 70 countries. “Shell Lubricants invests heavily in lubricant R&D which has allowed us to be ‘first to market’ with a number of lubricants innovations and value-added services. We have a patent portfolio with over 150 patent series for lubricants, oils and greases,” Mr Jha claims.
Commenting on why their lubricants have edge over competition, Mr Ahmed says, “We take a holistic approach that goes beyond selling just products and offer our customers the opportunity to meet their diverse goals and needs including improving equipment performance, enhancing energy efficiency and, most importantly, maximising their productivity.”
Future roadmap When asked about ExxonMobil’s  future roadmap as far as Indian power sector is concerned, Mr Ahmed, says, “We have  plans and strategies in place, which is working  well in the current  market scenario.  The industry is responding positively to the technology that we bring in. We have introduced energy efficient lubricants range in the country, which has received extremely good response—whether it is plastic injection moulding machines,  gear boxes, bearings or other high output hydraulic packs etc.  As the power generation industry continues to develop in India and around the world, Mobil Industrial Lubricants will continue to support its customers in achieving their strongest productivity and cost savings objectives.”
Mr Jha briefs, “We have a wide range of lubricants designed to meet the demanding needs of energy efficiency and superior reliability. This range includes the latest-technology synthetic products for Shell’s ultimate performance for all power plant machinery.”_______________________________We have a wide range of lubricants designed to meet the demanding needs of energy efficiency and superior reliability.
Akhil Jha, Vice President Technical, Shell Lubricants India____________________________________
We take a holistic approach that goes beyond selling just products…
Imtiaz Ahmed, Asia Pacific Mobil SHC Brand Manager, ExxonMobil Lubricants________________________________
Power plants are critical applications which essentially needs to be operate 24 x 7 and any disruption can have catastrophic implications.
Ravi Chawla, Managing Director,  Gulf Oil Lubricants India_____________________________