Scrubber Systems News

Wärtsilä received its first order for carbon capture and storage-ready scrubber systems - CCS-Ready scrubbers.Wärtsilä said that four 8,200 TEU container vessels, being built at undisclosed Asian-based yard, would be fitted with Wärtsilä’s CCS-Ready 35MW scrubber in an open loop configuration.The scrubbers are termed CCS-Ready because, as part of their installation, Wärtsilä will perform additional design and engineering work to ensure that future retrofits for a full CCS system on the vessels have already been accounted for during the newbuilding construction stage…

In recent years, Greek shipowner Safe Bulkers has retrofitted Alfa Laval PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems on 20 of its bulk carriers. The company has just installed its 21st PureSOx scrubber, and four more retrofits are scheduled through the first half of 2023.Safe Bulkers is expanding the retrofit program for exhaust gas cleaning within its fleet. Having now retrofitted an open-loop PureSOx system on the MV Pelopidas, the company will retrofit equivalent systems on four Capesize bulk carriers: MV Aghia Sofia, MV Lake Despina, MV Maria and MV Michalis H.

The technology group Wärtsilä and Danish ship operator A.P. Moller - Maersk have provided a means for preventing corrosion in scrubber discharge pipes. The permanent in-pipe solution is designed to solve corrosion problems associated with open-loop scrubber washwater discharge.The majority of the estimated 5,000 scrubber systems installed across the global fleet are of open-loop configuration. With this system, seawater is used to scrub SOx from the exhaust gas, with the used water then being discharged back to the sea after cleaning.Under IMO Guidelines…

Wärtsilä said it completed delivery of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel supply system (LFSS) to 15 very large gas carrier (VLGC) vessels owned and operated by BW LPG, which has the world’s largest fleet of VLGC vessels.BW LPG ordered the first four of these 15 systems in 2018, immediately following Wärtsilä’s full-scale testing of a full-sized two-stroke marine engine operating with LPG fuel. This was the world’s first such testing protocol, and the performance attained was seen as exceeding expectations.

VDL AEC Maritime received an order for the delivery of two retrofit scrubber systems to Seatrade Groningen BV. With this order VDL AEC Maritime extends its portfolio for the first time in their own home country, ánd to a Dutch ship-owner. The two SOx-scrubber systems will be delivered and installed before the end of 2022.Seatrade is an international shipping company with a global footprint, a leader in specialized refrigerated shipping and logistics. The globally established group of companies has its head office in Curacao and comprises a worldwide network of offices…

Wärtsilä won a new agreement for its exhaust gas cleaning systems to be installed on two newbuild 218m RoRo passenger vessels (RoPax) at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China.Signed in February 2022, the contract calls for Wärtsilä to fit and commission two 25-MWV-SOx hybrid scrubber systems, which can run in both open and closed loop configurations, on each vessel. With the systems, RoPax vessels will immediately comply with the 0.5% Global SulfurCap and will also be futureproofed against impending regulatory change…

In view of the upcoming CO2 emission regulations, Langh Tech has started researching the possibility of carbon capture on board vessels. The Finnish company said first tests have been successfully performed on board one of the vessels in sister company Langh Ship’s fleet, utilizing the existing Langh Tech hybrid scrubber installed on board.Langh Tech revealed Thursday it has conducted several preliminary tests of capturing CO2 emitted by a vessel’s main engine by the means of using an existing Langh Tech closed loop SOx scrubber system.

Finland-based Langh Tech announced the launch of its new ballast water management system using fine filtration and UV-C irradiation.The system, tailored for retrofit vessels, crowded spaces and extremely challenging operating conditions, was developed in-house on a fast schedule – in less than a year from first ideas to product launch.“During autumn 2020 we started thinking that there might be a need for even more compact systems than the present ones on the market, so we decided to do one,” said Langh Tech Commercial Director Laura Langh-Lagerlöf.

Expectations are high that exhaust gas scrubber technology demand will soon be resurge. But what lessons have been learned from installations and which type will dominate?Installing scrubber systems on ships that were never envisaged to have them on board has brought well documented challenges for older tonnage, with accurate drawings and documents sometimes hard to source. Where class documentation is concerned, meanwhile, different societies can have subtly different requirements…

Mining giant and commodity trader Glencore has via its subsidiary ST Shipping extended the charter for the 2020 Bulkers' 'Bulk Shanghai' bulk carriers.2020 Bulkers said Friday that the charter would be extended for a period of 6-8 months from October 4, 2020. According to the 2020 Bulkers, the vessel will from October 4, 2020, earn a fixed rate of $18,000 per day, gross, as well as a share of the fuel savings generated from the scrubber fitted on the vessel.According to AIS data…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, says its DIA-SOx marine scrubbers have been installed on 22 ships during the last eight months.The builder said the installations were completed as scheduled despite the continued spread of COVID-19 globally through remote commissioning conducted via close communication and cooperation with its local partners' engineers in China and Singapore.The  DIA-SOx lineup consists of the R Series and C Series.

Finland-based Valmet said it has booked an order with Japan's Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Shimonoseki Shipyard to deliver hybrid scrubber systems and water treatment units to two ferries. Each vessel will be equipped with two identical Valmet Marine Scrubber towers for each main engine and a water treatment unit as well as Valmet’s marine automation system. The order value was not disclosed. The vessels will be delivered from Mitsubishi Shimonoseki shipyard to Meimon Taiyo Ferry Co., Ltd.

European technology giant Wärtsilä will be supplying hybrid scrubber system packages for Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.According to a press note from Wärtsilä, the scrubber systems have been ‘specially customized to meet the specific needs’ of the two cruise ships – which included adapting ‘to meet the ships’ restricted space availability’.The scrubber systems will enable the 325 meters long cruise vessels to be in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) sulfur restriction legislation while operating on heavy fuel oil (HFO). The legislation became effective in January 2020.

Finnish scrubber manufacturer Langh Tech has delivered its exhaust gas scrubber systems to semi-refrigerated gas tankers managed by the Danish shipping company Ultragas ApS.The cooperation between Langh Tech and Ultragas started in summer 2018 and the deal includes the components for the scrubber system, commissioning, crew training and classification for four identical sister gas tanker vessels.The Langh Tech scope of delivery in this project is an open loop side inlet -type…

Adnan Nefesoğlu, RMK MARINE’s CEO, thought a short moment and  replied by reflecting his self-confidence “Yes, we can do”, when the local client came and asked RMK MARINE in early 2016 that: “We have two main engines, procured eight years ago and standing in a depot since then. They have Tier I feature. Can you convert them first to Tier II compliant engines, to be followed with Tier III compliant features, make them fully operable and then can you build two ships around 15.000-16.000 dwt…

Norwegian shipowner and operator 2020 Bulkers has taken delivery of Bulk Shenzhen, the fifth of eight 208,000 dwt Newcastlemax newbuilds.One further vessel is expected to be delivered in January 2020, and the remaining two vessels are expected to be delivered by May 2020.The vessel will on January 9, 2020, commence a 11-13 month index-linked time charter with ST Shipping, a 100% owned subsidiary of Glencore. The index-linked rate reflects a significant premium to a standard Capesize as a function of higher cargo intake and lower fuel consumption.The vessel will also earn an additional premium related to the fuel cost saving from the scrubber.2020 Bulkers has five vessels in operation and three Newcastlemax drybulk vessels under construction at New Times Shipyard in China.

A focused Q&A with M.Sc. Chem. Eng. Anders M. Sørheim, Yara Marine TechnologiesHow important is material quality when selecting a scrubber system?If the intention of a scrubber installation is to operate the scrubber for the lifetime of the vessel, assuming a minimum of 10 years, then the material quality is imperative. A study performed by the American stainless-steel manufacturer ATI titled “Evaluation of Alloys for Marine Exhaust Scrubbers – Effect of Welding and a Crevice” confirmed the importance of correct material choice for scrubbers.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, announced that it has agreed to sell the Star Cosmo, a 2005 built Supramax vessel and the Star Epsilon, a 2001 built Supramax vessel."We expect to deliver both vessels to their new owners by the end of this month (November)," the Greece-based shipping company said in a statement.The proceeds from these sales, after prepayment of the debt related to the two vessels, are expected to be approximately $6.0 million and we expect to incur a non-cash loss of approximately $4.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019.Meanwhile, Star Bulk  completed the installation of 44 scrubber systems…

Norway-based dry bulk shipping company 2020 Bulkers has taken delivery of Bulk Shanghai, the fourth of eight 208,000 dwt Newcastlemax newbuilds.The 300-meter-long bulker, which commenced a 13-year bareboat charter with 2020 Bulkers, is owned by Norwegian shipping company Ocean Yield.Two further vessels are expected to be delivered by January 2020, and the remaining two vessels are expected to be delivered by May 2020.The vessel will on November 9, 2019, commence a 11-13 month index-linked timecharter with ST Shipping, a 100% owned subsidiary of Glencore.Starting January 1, 2020, the vessel will also earn an additional premium related…

The international organization to promote Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS), Clean Shipping Alliance (CSA) 2020 has congratulated Danish ferry operator DFDS A/S for ten years of successful scrubber operation, with EGCS onboard the 37,939gt roro Ficaria Seaways achieving more than 50, 000 running hours since 2009.Ficaria Seaways, one of the first ro-ro vessels to be fitted with an Alfa Laval PureSOx system, operates inside the stringent European Sulfur Emission Control Area (SECA), on the Gothenburg – Immingham route.“The installation has prevented a substantial amount of sulfur emissions from entering the atmosphere,” said Poul Woodall…

Scrubber manufacturers and suppliers Clean Marine and FMSI have unveiled their intention to merge in order to create a bigger market share in the exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) segment.The combined entity, which will operate under the name Clean Marine, will provide a fully integrated offering, including Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) expertise, significant capacity, fast production times, project management and global after-sales services.Further announcements will be made when the agreement is finalized.The Merger will better position Clean Marine to fulfill the needs of its customers and meet the rising demand for EGCS following the implementation of the new limits on sulfur emissions that come into effect on January 1, 2020.

Norway-based shipowner 2020 Bulkers  has entered into a time charter agreement for its newcastlemax newbuilding Bulk Shanghai with a subsidiary of Glencore.The vessel will commence a 11-13 month time charter upon delivery from New Times Shipyard in early November 2019 and will earn an index linked rate, reflecting a significant premium to the Baltic 5TC index, said a press note from Bermuda-based new bulk carrier company.The time charter also includes a profit sharing of any economic benefit derived from operating the vessel´s scrubber, said the release.2020 Bulkers has two Newcastlemax drybulk vessels in operation and six Newcastlemax drybulk vessels under construction at New Times Shipyard in China.

United States based commodities trader Hudson Shipping Lines (HSL) became a member of the Trident Alliance as part of the company’s ongoing ‘green’ initiatives.The shipping company is increasing its commitment to cleaning up the shipping industry in conjunction with two environmental organizations. Hudson has recently joined the Trident Alliance as a member.“The shipping industry has a tremendous opportunity to improve its impact upon the world with the IMO 2020 sulfur cap. Hudson believes it has a responsibility to encourage companies and countries to comply with both the letter and also the spirit of the sulfur rules,” said company President, Avi Eilon.