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Port of Seattle proposes third-party study on scrubber wastewater discharges starting in 2022

Port of Seattle and Ecology proposes temporary pause on scrubber wastewater dumping in Puget Sound while a third-party study is conducted.
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Washington State Department of Ecology, the Port of Seattle, and Cruise Lines International Association Northwest & Canada (CLIA-NWC), on Tuesday (24 August) announced that there would be no changes to the voluntary agreement on cruise ship scrubber wastewater dumping in Puget Sound due to opposition by CLIA, according to environmental organisation Stand.

Instead, the Port of Seattle and Ecology proposed a temporary pause on scrubber wastewater dumping in Puget Sound while a third-party study is conducted.

The announcement came after a broad public outcry from tens of thousands of people who earlier this year participated in Ecology’s public comment period and spoke out in support of proposed amendments 

One amendment called for the state agency to ban cruise ship scrubber wastewater discharges in Puget Sound in order to address ongoing pollution concerns and better protect the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

During the comment period in early 2021, more than 24,600 people signed a petition in support of the amendments, 230 people submitted individual comments, and 10 environmental groups — Stand.earth, Friends of the Earth, Friends of the San Juans, James Bay Neighbourhood Association, Pacific Environment, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Seattle Cruise Control, Washington Environmental Council, Zero Waste Washington, and 350 Seattle — submitted a technical letter outlining their support for the scrubber amendment.

All three parties involved in the voluntary agreement had to agree to the amendments in order to update the agreement, called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). At a virtual meeting hosted by Ecology on Tuesday, August 24.

An Ecology representative stated that the decision was “certainly a tough one” but that the parties were “unable to reach consensus on the proposed amendment as written” to permanently ban scrubber wastewater in the MOU. A CLIA spokesperson confirmed the cruise industry lobbying group did not support the amendment.

The Port of Seattle and Ecology proposed instead a third-party study on scrubber wastewater discharges starting in 2022, alongside a temporary pause of scrubber wastewater discharges in Puget Sound while the study is completed. 

In response to the decision, environmental advocacy groups Stand.earth, Friends of the Earth, 350.org, Seattle Cruise Control, Puget Soundkeeper, Pacific Environment, and Friends of the San Juans issued the following statements:

“We are dismayed that the cruise industry has blocked Washington state from protecting the Puget Sound from cruise ship pollution. Scrubbers are a growing issue around the world, with several states and countries banning scrubber discharges due to their pollution impacts. Now, as the cruise industry returns after the COVID-19 pandemic, 

“Puget Sound waters will remain unprotected from these toxic discharges. We are calling on Gov. Inslee to step in and set this right,” said Anna Barford, Climate Campaigner at Stand.earth.

“Scrubbers are nothing more than emissions cheat systems that turn air pollution into water pollution by dumping toxin-laden wastewater into our oceans. Studies show that this pollution drives up the acidity of surrounding waters and harms marine wildlife and ecosystems, including the endangered Southern Resident orcas. It is way past time for the cruise industry to stop dumping toxic wastewater into our waters,” said Marcie Keever, Oceans and Vessels Program Director at Friends of the Earth.

“It is past time for our ports and state to recognize that the marine ecosystem cannot endlessly absorb pollution to protect the profit margin of certain industries. You can’t be pro-fish, pro-orca, and pro-scrubber,” said Miranda Marti, Co-lead of the Seattle Maritime Solutions Team at 350.org.

“Asking our kelp forests, fish, orcas, and people to pay the price for cruise ships to continue buying cheaper fuel and use scrubbers is unconscionable. This refusal to use available mitigation, such as burning low sulfur fuels, demonstrates why we need to transition away from the industry to a cruise-free Salish Sea,” said Stacy Oaks, Steering Committee member for Seattle Cruise Control. 

“This is a classic case of one step forward, one step back, and it’s leading to the continued governance stalemate hamstringing efforts to protect our local waterways and restore our local ecosystems,” said Blair Englebrecht, Boating Programs Manager at Puget Soundkeeper.“ 

Put simply, we are shocked at the eyes-wide-open nature of this decision doubling down on plans everyone admits will harm our coastal waterways; toxic discharges have no place in Puget Sound — or any waterway — especially when those discharges are readily preventable using existing technology.

“Cruise companies make their living bringing passengers to remarkable locations, yet they seem unwilling to do what’s needed to protect these very places. Heavily lobbied for by the cruise industry at the International Maritime Organization, scrubbers are a cheat. Rather than burning cleaner fuel, they made the calculation that installing scrubbers would save a few pennies over the lifetime of a vessel. Scrubber wastewater is acidic and full of contaminants like heavy metals, it has no business being dumped overboard anywhere — much less in sensitive areas like Puget Sound,” said Jim Gamble, Arctic Program Director for Pacific Environment.

“It is imperative that scrubber discharges be prohibited from the estuarine environment of the Salish Sea, which provides far more economic benefits to this region than the cruise industry does,” said Lovel Pratt, Marine Protection and Policy Director at Friends of the San Juans.”

“The public clearly sees how scrubber discharges are nothing more than a slight-of-hand: removing pollutants from the air we breathe only to dump them in the waters that sustain our lives.”

More and more cruise and cargo companies are beginning to install scrubbers on their ships in order to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 rule, which limits the sulphur content in the fuel oil burned to power ships operating outside designated emissions control areas. Sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions from ships burning bunker fuel have major health and environmental impacts. it states.

According to a recent study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) focused on Canada’s Pacific coast, in 2017, 30 scrubber-equipped ships dumped 35 million tonnes of contaminated scrubber wastewater near British Columbia, including 3.3 million tonnes within the designated critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident orcas. 

Cruise ships were responsible for 90% of these discharges, with many of them leaving from Seattle on round trip voyages to Canada and Alaska.

Several states and countries already banned scrubber discharges in port or in inland waters, including California, Hawaii, and Connecticut, as well as Norway, China, Singapore, Belgium, and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Photo credit: Irasema M on Unsplash
Published: 26 August, 2021

 

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Alternative Fuels

TMD Energy and Double Corporate to negotiate on bioenergy sustainable fuel solutions deal

TMD Energy and bioenergy firm Double Corporate entered into a MoA to explore a strategic collaboration in the business of bioenergy sustainable fuel solutions for Malaysia and global markets.

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June 19, 2025

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Malaysia- and Singapore-based marine fuel bunkering services provider TMD Energy Limited (TMDEL) on Wednesday (18 June) announced the company has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with bioenergy firm Double Corporate Sdn Bhd to explore a strategic collaboration in the business of bioenergy sustainable fuel solutions for Malaysia and global markets. 

The company said this collaboration marks a new milestone towards TMDEL’s strategy to expand into sustainable and alternative fuel energy sectors. The MOA initiates exclusive negotiations to formalise partnerships in bioenergy sustainable fuel solutions and operational integration.

On 21 April, TMDEL, a 65.08%-owned subsidiary of Straits Energy Resources, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange American (NYSE American).

TMDEL and its subsidiaries (TMDEL Group) are principally involved in marine fuel bunkering services specializing in the supply and marketing of marine gas oil and marine fuel oil of which include high sulphur fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil and very low sulphur fuel oil, to ships and vessels at sea. 

TMDEL Group is also involved in the provision of ship management services for in-house and external vessels, as well as vessel chartering services.

Double Corporate is a ISCC-EU certified Malaysian-based bioenergy company specialising in waste-based bioenergy and it involves converting waste into high-yield sustainable fuels and lubricants using proprietary, ISCC-EU-approved technology. 

Double Corporate has a decade-long expertise in producing high-yield, low-emission biofuels suitable for applications in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and sustainable marine fuel (SMF) markets, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Dato’ Sri Kam Choy Ho, Chairman and CEO of the company, said: “This partnership aligns with our vision to expand regionally and globally to advance long term sustainable, green business and fuel innovation. Double Corporate’s circular-economy focus complements our commitment to environmentally responsible energy solutions.”

The MOA establishes the parties’ intention to enter into mutual discussions to collaborate and participate in the business in Malaysia and globally with a one-year exclusivity period for negotiations, extendable by mutual consent. Both parties will prioritise finalising definitive agreements within the exclusivity window.

 

Photo credit: TMD Energy
Published: 19 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

Singapore-based Proteus Energy introduces hydrogen fuel cell system for maritime sector

Company has partnered with hydrogen fuel cell company Symbio France to develop the Proteus Maritime Fuel Cell Solution, a modular hydrogen fuel-based system for ports and vessels.
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June 19, 2025

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Singapore-headquartered clean energy provider Proteus Energy on Wednesday (18 June) has developed the Proteus® Maritime Fuel Cell Solution, a modular hydrogen fuel-based system for ports and vessels. 

The first offering is the Proteus®75. Each fuel cell stack is 75 kW output, and these can be combined for larger power requirements. The vessel types being targeted are harbour craft, and vessels in the coastal, offshore support, and in-land waterway segments.

The technology has been developed in partnership with Symbio France, a world leading hydrogen fuel cell company with over 30 years track record. Symbio is jointly owned by global industrial groups Michelin, Stellantis, and Forvia.

“The maritime industry needs viable clean energy solutions today,” said Dr Lars Gruenitz, CEO of Proteus Energy. “We are providing a high energy density solution that is compact and lightweight, which is critical for vessels where space and weight considerations are imperative. This best-in-class system is the logical and most cost-effective choice to help operators make a quantum leap in their decarbonisation efforts”.

The Proteus® Maritime Fuel Cell Solution can be delivered as a modular powerpack or customised and fitted into vessels.

Proteus’ fuel cell technology also complements electric propulsion and offers a powerful solution for hybrid vessels by extending their range and easing the load on batteries, thus improving space efficiency and vessel performance.

The Proteus® Maritime Fuel Cell Solution will be backed by a two-year performance guarantee from Symbio France.

Symbio’s systems have already logged millions of kilometers powering cars, buses and commercial trucks across Europe. Now, that same rigorous, road-tested performance is being deployed at sea with added protections for marine operating conditions.

The fuel cell stacks are produced at Symbio’s gigafactory in Lyon, France, using robotic assembly systems capable of producing thousands of units annually.

This high-throughput capability ensures that Proteus can meet rising demand without sacrificing quality – something only established and proven hydrogen fuel cell manufacturers can claim.

What also sets Proteus apart is its ability to bring economies of scale, continuous R&D, and tried and tested reliability from land transport into the marine environment. 

To provide a convenient fuel storage option, Proteus also offers high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks developed with its partner Forvia, a major global components and technology company. The DNV type-approved tanks, which are already available for delivery, offer a safe and easy way to store hydrogen onboard vessels and will be produced on an industrial scale.

In addition, Proteus works with port operators to provide them with customised refueling solutions and infrastructure.

The Proteus® Maritime Fuel Cell Solution is expected to be available for delivery beginning January 2026, with type approval from DNV anticipated before the end of this year. Proteus is ready to work with customers now.

 

Photo credit: Proteus Energy
Published: 19 June, 2025

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Sanctions

UK slaps sanctions on bunker company and Russian shadow fleet of oil tankers

Government has imposed sanctions on 20 oil tankers and Rosneft’s bunker fuel trading subsidiary Rosneft Marine (UK) Limited, in its latest action targeting Russia’s financial, military and energy sectors.
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June 19, 2025

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The UK government on Tuesday (17 June) has imposed sanctions on 20 oil tankers and Rosneft’s bunker fuel trading subsidiary Rosneft Marine (UK) Limited, in its latest action targeting Russia’s financial, military and energy sectors.

The new sanctions crack down further on Russia’s shadow fleet, targeting 20 of oil tankers. The UK is also tightening the net around those who enable Putin’s illicit oil trade, sanctioning Orion Star Group LLC and Valegro LLC-FZ, for their role in crewing and managing shadow fleet vessels. 
The action also targets Russia’s military capabilities, hitting the military agency leading the development of Russia’s underwater intelligence gathering operations (GUGI), protecting the UK from attacks on subsea infrastructure, restricting Putin’s war machine and increasing our security at home. 

“These sanctions strike right at the heart of Putin’s war machine, choking off his ability to continue his barbaric war in Ukraine,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

“We know that our sanctions are hitting hard, so while Putin shows total disregard for peace, we will not hesitate to keep tightening the screws.

“The threat posed by Russia cannot be underestimated, so I’m determined to take every step necessary to protect our national security and keep our country safe and secure.”

According to Rosneft’s website, Rosneft Marine UK, a Rosneft trading division, was established in 2010 to carry out bunker fuel trading for international cargo shipping.

In 2010, an office was opened in London, then in Beijing in 2012.

 

Photo credit: balesstudio on Unsplash
Published: 19 June, 2025

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