Alfa Laval Exhaust Cleaning System to Go on Three DFDS Vessels

Alfa Laval will supply its PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems to DFDS Seaways for three roll-on/roll-off cargo vessels to be retrofitted by the Polish shipyard Remontowa. The contract was signed in December 2012 and an initial announcement made in January 2013. Delivery is scheduled for July 2013 with installation and commissioning to follow immediately thereafter.

A shipping and logistics company serving northern Europe with routes across the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the English Channel, DFDS first installed Alfa Laval’s PureSOx on the M/V Ficaria Seaways in 2009. PureSOx has logged more than 10,000 hours of successful operation in both open and closed loop configurations as well as continuous compliance with current and future IMO regulations. This includes Regulation 14 of MARPOL Annex VI, which takes effect January 1, 2015, and restricts sulphur and particulate matter emissions to a maximum of 0.1% in sulphur emission control areas (SECAS), among DFDS’ most frequented routes.

The installation of PureSOx will enable the three Ro-Ro vessels to continue to use heavy fuel oil with a high sulphur content, yet comply with the future sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions limit. The M/V Petunia Seaways and the M/V Magnolia Seaways, which are sister ships to the Ficaria Seaways, are each powered by a MAN 9L60MC-C main engine, providing an output of 21 MW on each vessel. The Selandia Seaways is powered by two GMT Sulzer 9ZA 50S engines, providing a combined output of 21.6 MW.

With only 18 months remaining until the new IMO sulphur emission regulations take effect, DFDS and other shipping companies are struggling to find solutions that comply with regulatory and reliability standards established by the International Maritime Organization without increasing costs for sea transport to a level that will force traffic from sea to roads. Alfa Laval’s PureSOx has proven itself under actual operating conditions for all operating hours.

According to Alfa Laval, The installation of PureSOx systems will minimize the cost increases that shipping companies like DFDS experience due to the new regulation. By installing PureSOx and continuing to run on heavy fuel oil savings of 30-40% can be obtained. Naturally this depends upon the difference in price between heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine gas oil (MGO).