Energy consumption is giving increasing concern as the twenty-first century unfolds. The world now consumes in six weeks the amount of oil that was consumed in an entire year in 1950.

To fully understand energy futures, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) regularly reviews the rate at which reserves are identified in new oil and gas fields, the rate at which they are exploited, brought into production, coupled with global energy use, future demands, and changing political scenes.

ASPO currently predict that global maximum production rate would be achieved on or shortly after 2008, based on current background knowledge (Figure 1). Thereafter, production rates could only continue at steadily declining rates, despite an increasing demand for energy.

In the UK, during July 2004, Britain reported its first monthly trade deficit in oil.

In October 2004, the DTI reported that it planned to increase UK's emergency oil stock holding from 85 million barrels to 113 Mb (approximately 90 days consumption level).

In November 2004, the UK Offshore Operators Association predicted that the UK would become a net importer of oil within three years, and in February 2005, UK Coal announced the closure of the massive Selby coalfield, leaving only seven deep mines remaining in production within the UK.

Clearly all evidence suggests an increasingly scarce future for fossil fuels, and in addition no new nuclear plant has been commissioned within the last 20 years; equally, although renewable energy from sun, wind, hydro, wave and biomass has a bright future, no authorities suggest that these will offer more than a partial solution.

Clearly, UK, European and global energy costs must rise steeply in future years, and at the same time mineral oil based commodities will harden in price. In addition, the European Union is targeting energy consumption, with the Climate Change Levy (of 0.43p per kWh) now introduced and funding energy saving initiatives from the Carbon Trust and others. It is said that companies need to reduce energy consumption by 12 per cent to offset the levy.

Companies and countries which are energy inefficient will be the first to suffer, and current background evidence shows the UK to be one of the less energy efficient, (see Figure 2, comparing energy consumption of major nations per unit of industrial output), and clearly the UK companies are already at a disadvantage in the global marketplace.

New methods for energy efficiency are vitally necessary, and this is an application area where special types of “energy efficient” lubricants could offer assistance, and potential cost reduction.

For some years it has been known that improvements in energy consumption can be made by selection of the right types of lubricants, and even a few per cent point improvement can make significant difference to both small and large manufacturing companies. Lubricants are designed to reduce friction, and therefore to reduce resistance to movement between sliding surfaces.

Some types of synthetic based oils have coefficient of friction considerably lower than that for equiviscous mineral oil based lubricants (see Figure 3, with results from comparative FZG tests, for both mineral and synthetic industrial gear oils). Note the considerably lower coefficient of friction reported for certain synthetics, and therefore frictional advantage.

So certain polyalphaolefin (PAO) or synthetic hydrocarbon based products as well as polyglycols are known to give advantages; in the short term, such products could offer substantial savings. However, types of ester synthetic derived from renewable crop-based resources such as rapeseed and sunflower oil are ideal, and even give additional performance benefits.

Crop based renewables provide seed oil which when refined can itself be used for simple lubricants; further oil processing, however, to yield special single synthetic esters offers a variety of base stocks. These esters give distinct performance advantages including:

• outstanding multigrade character;
• shear resistant;
• good temperature stability;
• excellent antiwear performance;
• rapidly biodegradable;
• low toxicity;
• low volatility;
• safe to the user; and
• reduced combustibility – higher flash point.

In particular, FUCHS have worked closely with McAlpines and the Eden Project, the UK's largest environmental centre, in introducing biolubes into a wide variety of construction and plant equipment, including the road trains used for transport of visitors. The Eden Centre receives up to 2 million visitors per year to view the various displays, and Eden is now able to demonstrate in the most evident way the benefits of crops in production of industrial and automotive lubricants (Figure 4).

Of course at present with current scales of production, costs are higher for biolubes than for equivalent mineral oils. However, recent studies have shown that lubricant cost is a minor factor when compared both to other labour and maintenance costs, and particularly when compared to energy consumption costs for the equipment (Figure 5).

And the breakeven point may be after only a short operating time (Figure 6).

Lubricants derived from renewable crop based biodegradable esters have been available now for some years, and suitable lubricants for hydraulics, compressors, industrial gears, engines, conveyors, turbines, machine tools and for a variety of other industrial plant have been developed, are readily available, and now in growing and widespread use.

The positive reduction in friction coefficient is converted into very significant potential energy savings. For hydraulics, use of synthetics can offer between 1-3 per cent savings, and in use in plastics injection moulding equipment, figures of 2-3 per cent have been found.

For compressors, figures of between 2-7 per cent are reported. Use in a single 100 HP rotary compressor, which operates on full load over three shifts could therefore offer over £1,000 saving per year for a single piece of equipment.

Efficiencies of between 12 and 30 per cent have been reported in operation of worm gears, and between 1-5 per cent in spur gears. However, in gear operations, synthetic lubricants have additionally shown reduction of typical oil temperature by 5-7 °C, indicating potential reduction of stresses within the unit, and extended equipment life. Lower temperature can significantly reduce oil degradation, extending life, offering extended drain, reduced consumption, reduced oil wastage and reduced disposal costs.

The total savings therefore comprise:

• reduced energy costs;
• extended unit life;
• extended drain;
• reduction in lubricant use;
• reduced labour costs;
• reduced waste; and
• reduced disposal costs.

In summary, it is clear that the distinct advantages for synthetic lubricants, particularly for biodegradable synthetic ester lubricants derived from renewable resources, are now being realised.

Certain synthetics give frictional benefits which offer positive and real energy reduction, and distinct cost savings. Special Biolube esters give the greatest scope.

A wide range of suitable FUCHS Planto biolubes are now available for almost all applications, achieving not only potential for cost reduction by energy savings, but giving welcome performance and environmental benefits.