EAL grades for regulated waters.
Eleven biodegradable products for stern tubes, deck hydraulics and gearing — the oil-to-sea interfaces that regulators look at first.
Why this matters in US waters
Under the US EPA Vessel General Permit, vessels operating in US waters must use an Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant at every oil-to-sea interface — stern tube, thrusters, controllable pitch propellers, rudder bearings, deck machinery — unless it is technically infeasible. A conventional mineral oil in a stern tube is the most common way to fall outside the permit.
Check the current permit text for the requirements that apply to your vessel and trading pattern.
What EAL means
- Readily biodegradable
- Minimally toxic to aquatic life
- Not bioaccumulative
Our BIO HLP and Stern M grades are tested to a partition coefficient of Log Pow < 3 (OECD 117).
BIO HLP EAL — Hydraulic
Deck hydraulics, steering gear, hatch covers and controllable pitch propeller systems. Ester base stocks, servo-valve compatible.
| Product | ISO VG | Density 15°C | KV 40°C | KV 100°C | VI | Flash °C | Pour °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO HLP EAL 32 | 32 | 0.910 | 32.00 | 6.110 | 140 | 183 | -54 |
| BIO HLP EAL 46 | 46 | 0.904 | 46.00 | 7.850 | 140 | 183 | -36 |
| BIO HLP EAL 68 | 68 | 0.914 | 68.00 | 10.43 | 140 | 183 | -36 |
Rust A&B: Pass (ASTM D665) · Log Pow < 3 (OECD 117)
BIO GEAR EAL — Gearing
Deck cranes, winches and enclosed gearing where a readily biodegradable fluid is required.
| Product | ISO VG | Density 15°C | KV 40°C | KV 100°C | VI | Flash °C | Pour °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO GEAR EAL 150 | 150 | 0.983 | 150.0 | 19.25 | 146 | 286 | -42 |
| BIO GEAR EAL 220 | 220 | 1.000 | 220.0 | 25.45 | 146 | 286 | -39 |
Stern EAL — Stern tube
Stern tube and thruster bearings — the single largest oil-to-sea interface on most vessels.
| Product | ISO VG | Density 15°C | KV 40°C | KV 100°C | VI | Flash °C | Pour °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stern EAL 100 | 100 | 0.929 | 100.0 | 18.10 | on request | on request | -40 |
| Stern EAL 150 | 150 | 0.958 | 150.0 | 22.00 | on request | on request | -32 |
| Stern EAL 220 | 220 | 0.963 | 220.0 | 29.00 | on request | on request | -28 |
Stern M — High viscosity index
Stern tube duty where a very high viscosity index is preferred across a wide temperature range.
| Product | ISO VG | Density 15°C | KV 40°C | KV 100°C | VI | Flash °C | Pour °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stern M 100 | 100 | 0.921 | 100.0 | 16.63 | 180 | 170 | -24 |
| Stern M 150 | 150 | 0.928 | 150.0 | on request | 190 | 165 | -18 |
| Stern M 220 | 220 | 0.931 | 220.0 | on request | 200 | 163 | -12 |
Log Pow < 3 (OECD 117)
Typical values from Sinova Group technical data sheets (Form 002-EN, 5 January 2025). Typical properties are based on current production and may vary within specification.
Questions we get asked
What is an environmentally acceptable lubricant (EAL)?
A lubricant that holds three properties together: it is biodegradable (tested to a recognised method such as OECD 301), minimally toxic to aquatic life, and not bioaccumulative. "Biodegradable" on its own is not a regulated term; the practical way to demonstrate all three is a recognised eco-label such as Blue Angel, the EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan, EPA Safer Choice or an OSPAR listing.
What actually qualifies as an EALWhich shipboard systems require an EAL?
Every oil-to-sea interface — any point where lubricant and seawater are separated only by a seal, or not separated at all. In practice: stern tube bearings, controllable pitch propeller hubs and their hydraulics, thruster bearings and propulsion pods, rudder bearings, rudder stock seals and steering gear where it meets the sea, immersed wire ropes and equipment, and deck machinery hydraulics that can discharge over the side. The test is whether oil can reach the sea in normal operation, not whether it usually does.
The oil-to-sea interface rule in plain termsWhat is the VGP requirement, and what does VIDA change?
The US Vessel General Permit applies to commercial vessels of 79 feet and above in United States waters and requires an EAL in every oil-to-sea interface unless it is technically infeasible, which has to be documented. Under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act the framework is moving to federal standards implemented through the Coast Guard; the oil-to-sea interface obligation carries across. Confirm the currently effective instrument before relying on any date-specific detail.
What the technical infeasibility exemption requiresIs there an ISO 46 hydraulic oil that qualifies as an EAL?
Yes — BIO HLP EAL is available in ISO VG 32, 46 and 68 for deck machinery and other hydraulic systems that can discharge to sea. The published values are in the BIO HLP EAL section on this page.
Which stern tube oil grades do you supply?
Stern EAL in ISO VG 100, 150 and 220, and Stern M in 100, 150 and 220 for applications that need a high viscosity index. Both families are listed above with their data sheet values.
Is there an environmentally acceptable grease?
Two in the marine range: Grease EAL WR, a lithium NLGI 2 grease with a drop point of 180 °C, and Grease BIO EP 2. Both are listed with the other greases on the deck and auxiliary page.
Deck and auxiliary greases