Leading lubricant maker Shell has released its new Shell Helix Power 5W product at an event in Malaysia. The new product is notable because it is the first carbon-neutral passenger car engine oil to be produced from natural gas in the world.
Shell Malaysia’s chairman, Dato Ivan Tan, expressed his company’s pride in delivering low-carbon solutions like biofuels and charging for electric vehicles, with its new carbon-neutral Helix product being an addition to this. He said that further to the company’s efforts to bring down its oil and gas operations’ carbon intensity, it was increasingly engaging with nature-based solutions to provide the excellent carbon credits needed to offset the other emissions associated with its carbon-neutral products.
About the new product, he said:
“Shell Malaysia is introducing the Shell Helix carbon neutral engine oil series under its super premium fully synthetic range: Helix Power and Protect. These engine oils are formulated with Shell PurePlus Technology, which is made from 99.5% pure base oil2 from natural gas, as well as trusted and recommended by Scuderia Ferrari.”
Natural gas is the cleanest form of fossil fuel, so Shell’s proprietary gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology enables base oils for lubricants to be produced that are almost entirely free from the impurities—such as aromatics, sulphur, and nitrogen—that are typically present when they are derived from crude oil. This in turn helps engines to stay cleaner while also reducing wear and improving fuel efficiency. While Shell Helix Power 5W was launched in Malaysia, it will no doubt soon reach the UK market.
