Scrubbers

Denmark government considers ban on wastewater discharge from scrubbers

New figures from Danish Environmental Protection Agency show that discharge of scrubber water from ships is a significant source of several of the heavy metals and tar substances that pollute marine environment.

Published

1 year ago

March 12, 2024

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Denmark government considers ban on wastewater discharge from scrubbers

Denmark’s Minister of the Environment Magnus Heunicke on Friday (8 March) said he will discuss with Parliament on how the discharge of wastewater from scrubbers can be banned from its waters.

In a statement on the ministry’s website, the ministry said new figures from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency show that the discharge of scrubber water from ships is a significant source of several of the heavy metals and tar substances that pollute the marine environment.

Ships use so-called scrubbers to clean the flue gas of sulphur, by washing the smoke and then discharging the scrubber water directly into the sea.

Heavy metals in fish and shellfish for human consumption can have serious negative effects on humans in large quantities. For example, excessive amounts of lead can affect the development of the central nervous system, including the ability to learn and remember, while cadmium can affect the function of the kidneys.

“When heavy metals and tar substances are discharged into our marine environment, they largely do not disappear and remain in constant circulation in the sea,” Heunicke said.

“The substances accumulate on the seabed and in the ocean’s food chains, and this is deeply worrying for our marine environment and our health. We have to find a long-term solution to that.”

Photo credit: Denmark’s Ministry of the Environment
Published: 12 March 2024

Scrubbers

Port of Amsterdam to ban use of open-loop scrubber from 1 January

Port authority says the open-loop scrubbers discharge polluted washing water into its port waters and the ban will contribute to a cleaner marine environment.

Published

5 months ago

December 23, 2024

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From 1 January 2025, there will be a restriction on the use of open-loop scrubbers for seagoing vessels in the port of Amsterdam, according to the port authority on Thursday (19 December).

The port authority said the open-loop scrubbers discharge polluted washing water into its port waters and the ban will contribute to a cleaner marine environment.

“In order to combat water and soil pollution in the Port of Amsterdam, a restriction on the use of open-loop scrubbers will apply from 1 January 2025. The ban applies on ships that are berthed. There, the discharge of the washing water is most locally concentrated,” it said on its website.

In the case of a hybrid scrubber system, seagoing vessels must switch to closed-loop, or switch to another cleaner fuel that meets the sulphur environmental standards, such as Marine Gas Oil.

In 2023, approximately 100 seagoing vessels with an open-loop scrubber called at the Port of Amsterdam. In addition to Amsterdam, the ban already is in place in the ports of Antwerp, Hamburg, French and several Scandinavian ports.

Milembe Mateyo, Harbor Master at Port of Amsterdam, said: “With this decision, we are combating the pollution of the marine environment. It is another step closer to a cleaner port and an acceleration in the sustainability of shipping.”

Note: The full copy of decree on the restriction of the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers) in Amsterdam can be viewed here.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Frank22
Published: 23 December, 2024

Bunker Fuel

Titan locks horns with Shell over newbuilding order for conventional fuelled tankers

‘This move seems to contrast the agenda both our companies were pushing for, to make the maritime industry cleaner by investing in bunkering infrastructure to accommodate decarbonisation of shipping,’ says Titan.

Published

7 months ago

October 18, 2024

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LNG bunker fuel supplier Titan on Thursday (17 October) has slammed energy giant Shell for its recent decision to order 10 conventional marine-fuelled product tankers fitted with scrubbers.

Titan said the move seemed “to contrast the agenda” both companies were pushing for, to make the maritime industry cleaner by investing in bunkering infrastructure to accommodate the decarbonisation of shipping.

“Shell, are you forfeiting your right to be a leader of the energy transition? With great power comes great responsibility,” it said in a social media post.

“You carefully positioned yourself as an industry leader in the movement towards more sustainable and cleaner marine fuels. With your size, you hugely influence the industry and are a strong advocate for LNG as a marine fuel,” it said, adding that it was “surprised” when it saw a news report on the move.

Given Shell’s leadership role, Titan said the decision raised questions about how it aligned with the company’s commitment to decarbonisation.

“We’re genuinely interested in hearing more about your strategy for balancing these choices and how you view the LNG pathway in the bigger picture,” it said.

It also said that Shell, adding more scrubber-fitted conventional fuel tankers to the current fleet sends a “strange signal” to the industry.

“At Titan, we remain fully committed to driving this transition forward, offering a reliable supply of LNG, bio-LNG, and soon e-LNG to those already leading the way. Our focus remains on putting clean fuel into every ship,” Titan said.

“Let’s continue pushing the boundaries and make sure shipping doesn’t take a step back.”

Photo credit: Titan
Published: 18 October 2024

Methanol

Singapore-based X-Press Feeders orders six methanol-ready boxships with scrubbers

Firm says it has ordered six 11,000-TEU ships from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding which are scheduled to be delivered between Q3 2027 and Q4 2028.

Published

7 months ago

October 17, 2024

Admin

Singapore-based global maritime container shipping company X-Press Feeders on Thursday (17 October) said it has ordered six 11,000-TEU methanol-ready, scrubber-fitted container ships from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding.

The vessels are scheduled to be delivered between Q3 2027 and Q4 2028.

“These vessels are part of our fleet renewal strategy to deploy the right tonnage to our core trades and thereby maintain our competitiveness,” it said in a statement to Manifold Times.

The company added “deployment details will be made known nearer to delivery dates.”

Manifold Times previously reported X-Press Feeder launching its second green methanol-powered route, the Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX).

It is part of Europe’s first scheduled feeder network powered by green methanol. The expansion follows the successful launch of the Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX) in July and marked another significant milestone in the company’s commitment to sustainable shipping.