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Viking trio gain Thordon's seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings

Viking trio gain Thordon's seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings
Viking Star, under construction at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard, is one of three Viking Ocean Cruises’ newbuilds to opt for Thordon COMPAC seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings.

‘We chose Thordon COMPAC for all our newbuildings because of the long experience of these seawater lubricated bearings which present no risk of oil pollution. With the elimination of aft seal maintenance and no oil required, we are expecting considerable cost savings over the life of the vessels,’ says Richard Goodwin, vp-engineering at Viking Ocean Cruises. 

Designed with the environment in mind, Viking’s ocean ships feature energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimized streamlined hulls and bows for maximum fuel efficiency, onboard solar panels, and equipment that minimizes exhaust pollution.  And it meets the strictest environmental regulations with Thordon’s pollution-free bearings with zero risk of oil discharges, as no oil is used.

The 47,800gt Viking Star has a Thordon COMPAC tapered key bearing design with a shaft size of 464mm.

In Thordon COMPAC propeller shaft bearings, seawater is used as lubrication instead of biodegradable oils, and eliminating the need for an aft seal means that no complicated aft seal is required. 

Seawater is taken from the sea, pumped through the bearings, and returned back to the sea. There is no risk of damage to an aft seal by a fishing net or rope as there is no aft seal.  This results in lower in-service maintenance costs, the elimination of storage, sampling, and disposal of oils, and meets all US EPA Vessel General Permit requirements.