IMO fumes as sulphur cap critics rubbish scrubbers

Despite contrarian views over the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) subcommittee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) has reiterated that vessels fitted with scrubbers, as EGCS systems are commonly called, will be in compliance with the pending sulphur cap restriction that comes into effect next year. “The guidelines for the use of EGCS have been exhaustively examined and revised three times by the organisation’s subcommittee on PPR,” a recent IMO notice said. It emphasized, among other things, that the use of EGCS was an approved option for complying with the January 1, 2020, global sulphur target of 0.5%. This was in response to concerns around sea pollution after a report from Germany suggested a transfer of pollution from air to sea through the use of marine scrubbers. These concerns, of replacing

one form of pollution with another, were, however, refuted by an extensive study conducted by the PPR. “With emotive coverage fanning the flames of debate over open loop EGCS use, the shipping industry is plagued by uncertainty on how to comply with the regulation,” said Donald Gregory, director of the EGCS Association (EGCSA). He pointedly stated that “those ship owners who have fitted EGCS have invested in compliance”. “That investment should not be undermined by controversial claims that EGCS are dirty or harmful. Focusing the debate on whether one means of compliance or the other is bad, detracts from the key issue.

“Aiming to influence regulations this way is unsustainable and risks leading to a fragmented approach to compliance,” Gregory said. The IMO notice was widely welcomed by shipping lines, as deploying marine scrubbers could save significant costs. “EGCS ships can continue to run on the cheaper heavy fuel oil and still meet IMO emission requirements instead of switching to the more expensive low sulphur fuel. This means significant fuel savings,” said chief operating officer of ME Production, Rasmus Carstens. His company is one of many that have started producing marine scrubbers.

Jan Othman, director of exhaust treatment at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, agreed that sulphur-laden heavy fuel oil, commonly referred to as HFO, was still the industry favourite. As a result, said Othman, a “marked uptick” in demand was seen for EGCS since the 2020 deadline was finalised.  “I would expect that, once we get close to 2020, a lot of the smaller players will start to wake up and want

short delivery times, which may cause price escalation,” he predicted. Locally, the South African Maritime Safety Authority has issued notice of its intention to accept all types of approved EGCS for use in its territorial waters. Aiming to influence regulations this way is unsustainable and risks leading to a fragmented approach to compliance. – Don Gregory