Thordon's Pollution Free Bearings Takes Environmental Initiative Award at Seatrade Cruise Conference

For Immediate Release - September 21, 2009

Thordon Bearings COMPAC pollution free shaft bearings have been honoured as a winner at the Third Annual Seatrade Insider Cruise Awards 2009 in the Environmental Initiative category.  The Environmental Initiative Award honours any company, organisation or individual who has made a notable contribution to advance any environmental aspect of cruising.

The award was presented on  Sept. 15 during the Seatrade Europe 2009 conference in Hamburg, Germany by Tony Heuer, president, Fidelio Cruise (sponsor of the Seatrade Insider Awards 2009), and Mary Bond, editor, Seatrade Insider and Seatrade Cruise Review.  Accepting the award for Thordon Bearings Inc. was Campbell Cunningham, Area Sales Manager - Europe.

Cruise ship owners have completely eliminated oil from their propeller shaft bearing system by using seawater as the lubrication medium and non-metallic Thordon COMPAC bearings in place of oil and white metal bearings. Use of Thordon COMPAC seawater lubricated bearings eliminates the aft seal, as well as the storage, sampling and disposal of oil. The potential impact of oil leaking from the ships main propulsion system is zero. The first cruise ship operators to use Thordon COMPAC propeller shaft bearings were Princess Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines in 1998.  Today however, more and more cruise ship owners are seeing the proven performance and eliminating any oil pollution impact on the world’s seas and oceans. Over 20 cruise ships currently operate with Thordon seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearings and nine more are on order.