The recession has not slowed down our efforts to develop and market products that give our industrial and business customers better environmental and social performance.
INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANTS
Our advanced industrial lubricants can help machinery to use less energy. In 2008, we launched Shell Tellus® EE (Energy Efficiency) lubricant, which is designed to increase the energy efficiency of hydraulic equipment. Its patented additive technology reduces friction, so hydraulic systems can move with less resistance and hence lower energy losses. In customer trials, machinery using Shell Tellus#174; EE lubricant used up to 8% less energy than those using conventional mineral oils.
INDUSTRIAL FUELS
We have developed a number of fuels for our industrial customers that can help them improve their environmental performance. One example is our Fuel Oil Plus, which is burnt for heat or steam in factory boilers, ovens and other industrial equipment. Compared to standard fuel oil, it can reduce emissions of particulates by up to 80%, and can lower fuel consumption by up to 3%.
PAVEMENT
In 2008, we launched Shell Floraphalte, our first asphalt binder made almost entirely from plant-based ingredients. A binder is the glue that holds the small stones (aggregate) together to make a paved surface. Floraphalte can be used for lightweight paving like sports fields or bicycle paths. It is mixed at temperatures up to 40°C lower than traditional asphalt, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions by approximately a fifth when the asphalt is mixed.
We offer Shell Instapave Systems, a long-lasting and more affordable alternative to gravel or concrete roads in the developing world. We will be doing a joint trial of Instapave in 2009, with the National Rural Road Development Agency and the National Institute of Technology in India. The trial aims to show how Instapave can be used to improve road access in rural areas. We also offer Shell WAM Foam Solution, which can be laid at lower temperatures than traditional asphalt to make roads, reducing energy and CO2 emissions by more than 30% when the asphalt is mixed.
CHEMICALS
Our chemicals help leading manufacturers make everyday products that save energy. For example, we make critical ingredients for washing detergents that clean clothes at lower water temperatures, and for the plastics used in lighter car parts. Our products are also used to make insulation materials for buildings.
