EGCS: NEWS

DHT INVESTMENT

Tanker operator DHT has announced that it has expanded its investment in scrubbers, with new systems added for its fleet.

The company has committed $25m to retrofit an additional 8 vessels with scrubbers. The vessels are DHT Colt, DHT Jaguar, DHTLeopard, DHT Lion, DHT Panther, DHT Puma, DHT Stallion and DHT Tiger. All the vessels are of eco-design and built between 2015 and 2018.

The company expects to commence the retrofit program in Q4 2022 and complete during Q1 2023. The combination of lower cost and the current higher fuel spreads makes this a compelling investment. The investment will be funded with liquidity at hand hence no new debt will be issued. Following the completion of this project, the company will have 23 vessels fitted with scrubbers.

IMO APPROVES MEASURES

The International MMaritime Organization’s (IMO’s) SubCommittee on Prevention of Pollution (PPR) has been considering issues related to discharge from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS). The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) recently approved: » MEPC Circular on 2022 Guidelines for risk and impact assessments of the discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems, to provide information on recommended methodology for risk and impact assessments that

Member States should follow when considering local or regional regulations to protect the sensitive waters/ environment from the discharge water from EGCS. » MEPC Circular on 2022 Guidance regarding the delivery of

EGCS residues to port reception facilities, providing best practices intended to assist both ship operators and port

States in assuring the proper management and disposal of EGCS residues and stored discharge water from EGCSs into port reception facilities. In 2021, the MEPC adopted the updated Guidelines for exhaust gas cleaning systems (MEPC.340(77)), which specify the criteria for the testing, survey, certification and verification of EGCS as well as discharge water quality criteria.

As environmental lobby group KIMO pointed out following the meetings EGCS discharge water contains various contaminants such as sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and other mixtures originated from the engines exhaust gas. It was noted that the mixtures of compounds when discharged overboard were identified to have negative impacts on the marine environment. Accordingly, many countries have been regulating the discharge of wash water from open-loop scrubber in their territorial water and port limits via their national legislation.