MalaysiasPetronas Lubricants International introduced the industrys first 0W-20 heavy-duty diesel engine oil in Turin, Italy, last week after co-developing it with Italian truck manufacturer Iveco.
Urania Next 0W-20 was developed for the new Euro VI heavy-duty emission standards through a technical collaboration with Iveco. Compared to conventional products, it provides fuel economy improvement of up to 2.5 percent in specific vehicle operating conditions, according to a statement from Petronas.
The low-viscosity oil was produced for and will be supplied exclusively to Iveco for its global truck fleet, a Petronas spokesperson told Lube Report Asia. The company declined to add any further information.
Petronas is committed to harnessing technology to innovate solutions to meet the challenges faced by our key partners and the market – in this instance, new-generation engine specifications and fuel economy considerations to manage global commercial vehicle fleets efficiently, said PLIs Head of Group Technology Andrew Holmes.
Kline & Co. estimated during a November webinar that 5W and 0W weight motor oil will account for about 44 percent of the 8 million tons of motor oil demand expected in 2023. Several companies make and sell 0W grade oil for passenger car vehicles, but Petronas claims Urania Next is the first in the heavy-duty segment.
Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, PLI is the global automotive and industrial lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of Petronas, the national oil corporation of Malaysia. Petronas acquired Italys FL Selenia in 2007 and merged it with Petronas Lubricants Business Unit before establishing PLI in 2008.
It appears that the former FL Selenia was the part of PLI that cooperated with Iveco on the 0W oil. Selenia specialized in the development, production and distribution of lubricants and functional oils used in commercial and agricultural vehicles, and its business model was based on engaging original equipment manufacturers in development initiatives that lead to supply tie-ups.Based in Italy, Iveco has manufacturing facilities in 11 countries and joint ventures in China, Russia and South Africa.