Environmentally Considerate Lubricants are a key requisite for the clean energyrnproduced in hydro power plants. Traditionally they have been lubricated with mineral oilrnbased lubricants, which however pose the risk of contaminating clean water if a leakrnoccurs. The danger of a severe environmental hazard can be minimized by replacing thernmineral oil based lubricants with environmentally considerate alternatives. By selectingrnthe right quality and applying an appropriate monitoring program, these lubricantsrnensure the proper functioning of hydro power plants without technical disadvantages.rnBiodegradable lubricants for hydro power plants are based on well-establishedrntechnology that has been proven in many applications over the years.rnIn this paper, key requirements for the physical and chemical characteristics of the basernfluid components and the additives are outlined. Top tier lubricant components are thernbasis for long drain intervals. In particular the performance differences betweenrnlubricants based on saturated and unsaturated ester respectively will be addressed.rnIncorrect selection of lubricant components cannot be corrected by intensive and costlyrnlubricant monitoring programs.rnAnother aspect discussed in this paper is the "lubricant condition monitoring". Since thernchemistry of Environmentally Considerate Lubricants differs significantly from that ofrntraditional mineral oil based equivalents, the monitoring programs must be adaptedrnaccordingly and the interpretation of test results must take into account the formulationrntechnology.
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