Canadian ship operators continue to 'Thordonize'

Thordon’s COMPAC propeller shaft bearing installed on a Great Lakes bulker

Thordon Bearings has delivered its COMPAC water-lubricated propeller shaft bearing solution to the final vessels in a series of three new bulk carrier newbuilds scheduled to join a fleet of Canadian lakers.

The 35,000dwt boom forward, self-discharging bulkers are the most recent Canadian-owned vessels to be “Thordonized” with a complete COMPAC system. The package includes elastomeric polymer water-lubricated bearings, ThorShield propeller shaft corrosion protection, Thordon Water Quality Package, and the Thordon Bearing Condition Monitoring system.

The 225-metre-long (738 ft) Seawaymax vessel was named at the 3 Maj Shipyard in Croatia in May 2024.and is expected to begin operations later this year or in early 2025. It is the shipowner’s 17th vessel to employ a COMPAC water-lubricated bearing system.

The newbuilds, part of the shipowner’s fleet renewal program, are designed to achieve a 40% improvement in carbon intensity, on average, compared to the ships they have replaced. Thordon Bearings’ water-lubricated propeller shaft bearings add to their clean credentials by ensuring there is no risk of oil leakage from the stern tube, as the propeller shaft is lubricated with water, not oil.

“These vessels operate in the fresh waters of the Great Lakes, so oil leakage is absolutely not tolerated by the authorities,” said José Duarte, Marine Business Development Manager - North America at Thordon Bearings.

“Thordon has been actively supporting Great Lakes shipowners such as American Steamship, Canada Steamship, Algoma, Interlake Steamship, and McKeil Marine for over three decades. To date more than 120 vessels sailing the Great Lakes operate Thordon’s water-lubricated bearing systems as a way of maintaining pristine waters.”

Craig Carter, VP Business Development, Thordon Bearings said: “Awareness of the benefits of water-lubricated propeller shaft bearing technology is increasing among the shipping industry in general. We are pleased that Canadian shipowners have continued to install what is undoubtedly the best option for mitigating the risk of operational oil pollution from the shaft. Based on the operational experience of the vessels currently running COMPAC we expect our relationship with our Great Lakes’ customers to continue for many years ahead.”   

In China, where many of Canada’s large tonnage is built, Thordon’s local distributor CY Engineering is key to providing the shipowner with the technical and practical support it needs throughout a newbuilding project. One of the key elements for a successful installation is not only Thordon's technologies, but also our global support network.”

The COMPAC bearing is constructed from a cross-linked polymer alloy that offers a low breakaway friction resulting in quiet and smooth operation. The material’s abrasive resistance is much greater than traditional laminated materials. The visco-elastic nature of the material improves the hydrodynamic performance of the bearing, leading to longer wear life, and as the material is homogenous, it provides consistent wear and friction properties. 

Thordon’s shaft coating was specifically developed to complement the COMPAC shaft bearing system by providing corrosion protection to metal components, allowing extended shaft withdrawal. It has been formulated for optimal adhesion, impact resistance, abrasion resistance and tolerance for bending and torsional stresses.

Thordon’s advanced bearing condition monitoring system (BCMv2), meanwhile, delivers real-time information to provide vessel engineering teams with a one-touch remote indication of bearing clearances. BCMv2 reduces the need for sending divers to take poker gauge readings, as it meets all class society requirements for wear monitoring.

■ Contact: Thordon Bearings www.thordonbearings.com