GE Nods to ExxonMobil Turbine Gear Oil

GE has approved ExxonMobil’s Mobil SHCTM Gear 320 WT advanced turbine gear oil for use in all of its wind turbines worldwide.

Merkur Offshore GmbH/Illustration

This approval applies to all of the more than 50,000 GE wind turbines in operation today, ExxonMobil said.

GE’s lubricant approval process includes more than 300 itemized testing parameters built around ASTM, DIN and GE specifications. To obtain this approval, Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT gear oil underwent more than two years of field trials and inspections.

The approval follows ExxonMobil’s recent extension of Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT gear oil’s warranty from seven years to ten years.

“GE’s approval is a testament to the performance of Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT gear oil – GE is one of the top three turbine manufacturers in the world and they have one of the most stringent lubricant standards in the industry,” said Mike Galloway, industrial equipment builder engineer at ExxonMobil.

“Backed by our industry-leading warranty, operators can rest easy knowing that this oil can help protect against the extreme conditions wind turbines face all around the world, helping them achieve their long-term reliability and productivity goals.”

Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT was developed in collaboration with leading global original equipment manufacturers and features a proprietary additive technology designed to provide protection against common types of wear such as scuffing and micro-pitting fatigue, Exxon Mobil said, adding that the oil also does not contribute to white etching cracks.