EGCS

Use of exhaust gas cleaning systems continues to be a major part of investment by shipping companies – despite the setbacks of the last year or so

SCUBBERS UPTAKE SLOW BUT SURE

What is the market for scrubbing technology in the coming years? According to Anders Skibdal, chief executive of PureteQ, the market for scrubbing technology “practically died during the pandemic”. The main reason was the low spread between high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) and compliant fuels. As the world began reopening, the price span became more in favour of scrubbing technology and “with the war in Ukraine the price span went ballistic – but so did freight rates”.

Today, he says, the price span is still in favour of scrubbers, but still relatively few orders for new scrubber systems have been placed. There is, however, a steadily increasing demand for quotations and feasibility studies for installing scrubbers for all types of ships – even smaller ships.

“Owners that have not presently installed scrubbers are now considering reducing operating expenditure by installing scrubbers. Charterers are pushing shipowners to install scrubbers and multiple negotiations are ongoing to solve the cost of installing them.

“Freight rates have been very favourable in most segments of shipping, but in containers freight rates are now more realistic, thus this segment is beginning to opt for scrubber systems.”

Skibdal says a “perfect storm” has hit the world, with war in Europe, growing inflation, lack of workforce and market volatility. “We see growing consumption of fossil fuels all over the world. This is not going to make a green/clean transition any faster, as people have other priorities.

“Hence many shipowners are beginning to realise that the new fuels with reduced carbon, such as methanol, are not going to be available for shipping in scale for years to come.”

Furthermore, he says: “The cost of these new fuels is going to be very high and the lower energy density requires expensive modifications. With the carbon intensity indicator (CII) being implemented and most

ships reducing speed, owners and charterers are forced to look for ways to reduce costs.“

The best solution is, of course, to reduce energy consumption, by implementing the various energy saving technologies that are already on the market, he explains.

Sails, wings and solar panels are favoured as they have an immediate impact on the CII and may prolong the number of years at a ‘C’, or even better, rating, as this is based merely on calculation and not actual performance.

Scrubbers are not favoured by these calculations, but do create a much bigger real saving on fuels, he explains.

New fuels also require exhaust cleaning. Methanol will require some technology to clean for particle emission and “a scrubber is a perfect conditioner for wet electrostatic precipitation”, Skibdal says.

Ammonia, meanwhile, emits much higher amounts of nitrogen oxides, which also must be cleaned. Both fuels require a huge portion of pilot fuel, which most probably will be fossil and therefore require cleaning, he says.

The biggest future use for scrubbers is as a pre-treatment of exhaust gas before carbon capture. Scrubbers have transformed into absorbers, which in turn are used for any kind of solventbased carbon capture.

“The prospect of onboard carbon capturing (OCC) is promising. OCC technology does not exist in any scale yet, but many companies including PureteQ are in the development phase and once the infrastructure is in place, I am sure that development will speed up,” he concludes.

SAFE BULKERS ADDITION

Greek shipowner Safe Bulkers has put in an additional order for Alfa Laval’s PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning system for ships in the fleet.

In recent years, Safe Bulkers has retrofitted Alfa Laval PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems on 20 of its bulk carriers. The company has just installed its 21st PureSOx scrubber, and four more retrofits are scheduled through the first half of 2023.

Safe Bulkers is expanding the retrofit programme for exhaust gas cleaning within its fleet. Having now retrofitted an open-loop PureSOx system on MV Pelopidas, the company will retrofit equivalent systems on four capesize bulk carriers: MV Aghia Sofia, MV Lake Despina, MV Maria and MV Michalis H. Alfa Laval’s deliveries for the vessels, which are each roughly 180,000DWT in capacity, will extend to April 2023.

“When we first made the choice to retrofit Alfa Laval PureSOx systems in 2018, we were convinced that it was a good investment,” says Dr Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers.

“Today’s increased price difference between low-sulphur and high-sulphur fuel shows that we were correct. We are protecting our margins in a time of uncertainty while simultaneously protecting the environment. Through comprehensive sampling of effluent washwater from open-loop scrubber systems, independent laboratories using Environmental Protection Agency or International Organization for Standardization methods have shown that there is little or no impact from the washwater concentrations.

“Retrofitting large equipment like a scrubber will always involve challenges,” says Barmparis. “What makes the difference is the supplier’s commitment to finding a solution. Having already done 21 retrofits with Alfa Laval, we can say with confidence that the cooperation works – just like the PureSOx technology. Both the support and the results are consistently excellent.”

To take full advantage of the partnership, Safe Bulkers has an Alfa Laval Service Agreement in place for its PureSOx systems. Comprising spare parts packages, sensor exchanges, connectivity and more, the agreement will now be expanded to cover the additional vessels.

“We take no chances with our compliance at Safe Bulkers,” Barmparis concludes. “Service is an important safeguard, and we know that we can rely on Alfa Laval’s expertise. The support we receive means that we can always be certain of fulfilling our obligations.”

EXYTE ACQUISITION

Exyte has completed the acquisition of Airgard, a US-based specialist in exhaust gas cleaning technology.

Airgard is a market leader in the development and manufacturing of wet scrubbers, which are used globally by many key players in the semiconductor industry.

“The acquisition of Airgard will strengthen Exyte’s position to support our customers with technical solutions for their exhaust management, also in light of the increasing standards that come up with environmental, social and governance regulations and requirements,” says Dr. Wolfgang Büchele, chief executive of Exyte.

PURETEQ:

THE SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A GLOBAL CHALLENGE

PureteQ has designed, delivered, and commissioned built-to-fit maritime scrubber systems for ships since 2014. Today our scrubber programme handles a load of up to 100MW. All scrubbers come with optimised design and our well-known, userfriendly control system with real-time remote access. We still design the smallest scrubber in the business, we have proven shorter installation time and we offer an easier-to-use product with lower maintenance cost. Energy performance is superior due to the patented hydrodynamic fluid distribution system that allows for no interior obstructions.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COST-EFFECTIVE SCRUBBER DESIGN

It has become ever-more complicated to choose a scrubber design to match the ship’s actual trade pattern. The most important factor for many shipowners is capital expenditure (CAPEX), but once installed, operating expenditure (OPEX), technical performance and after-sales support become important factors.

CAPEX: in principle, there are three costs that comprise the total cost of installation: 1. Cost of the scrubber system, including main components 2. Cost of installing the plant, including cabling and piping, as well as structural work 3. Cost of off-hire When selecting which maker or design is the best for the vessel, one should always consider the total installation cost and not merely individual costs. Because of high freight rates, the off-hire costs are, in many cases, by far the highest cost when installing a scrubber system. It is therefore of outmost importance to choose a scrubber design that is easy and fast to install and requires minimum changes to existing structures.

OPEX: the highest cost is fuel consumption of operating the seawater pumps, zero-leak air fans and other scrubber-related equipment. First priority should therefore be to evaluate the energy efficiency of the scrubber system – not only what has been said by the manufacturer when negotiating the contract, but also that the scrubber maker measures and reports the energy consumption, hence providing proof of actual power consumption at various loads. So far, there are just three scrubber makers in the world that measure energy consumption. The second priority is to ensure that the scrubber maker has been diligent when choosing components with the lowest possible life cost – not just the cheapest purchasing price.

Technical performance: the first priority is to ensure that the scrubber system can regulate automatically for the lowest possible energy consumption at various loads, matching the trade pattern of the vessel. Some brand designs have constraints on how much the waterflow can be regulated and still clean the gas. Other brands have constraints in the functionality of the software, which is not easily fixed. Most scrubber makers have outsourced software to third-party suppliers, which do not always understand the needs on board a ship.

At PureteQ, we take great pride in having the most advanced software

An installation of a scrubber tower. PureteQ’s scrubber programme can support ships of any size or trade pattern and handles a load of up to 100MW

developed and supported in-house by our proficient engineers. Most of the time, it is not necessary to be in physical attendance as many issues may be supported or fixed remotely.

Additionally, the PureteQ system is designed to automatically upload data to a cloud-based platform for optimisation and reporting of system performance across your scrubber fitted ships to provide peace of mind to shipowners and operators.

Choice of scrubbers: one should not choose a specific brand of scrubber for the wrong reasons. If a system promises new features such as onboard carbon capture, be sure to ask the cost per ton of CO2, as well as the amount of CO2 being captured, and energy consumption of such a system. Most scrubbers may be retrofitted with a carbon capture feature when such technologies become readily available for energy efficient onboard carbon capturing and the infrastructure for handling CO2 becomes available. A SOx scrubber is considered a pre-requisite for installing any kind of solvent-based carbon capture.

After sales support: today, PureteQ is by far the world’s largest service provider for all brands of scrubbers. PureteQ has offices in Europe and Asia and from there, our trained marine engineers are dispatched from the nearest location. In Japan and Singapore, we have moved from shared offices to our own facilities with better equipped and larger offices, training rooms and workshops. We have facilities to refurbish cells and sensors in both locations, as well as in Europe, and the service business is steadily growing.

During the past quarter, PureteQ has added more than 100 scrubber-fitted ships to our client list and many more are following suit to save costs.

VIEWS OF THE FUTURE

It is by now evident that focus has moved from pollution towards climate change and almost all shipowners of any size have pledged to a zerocarbon future.

Recently, it was decided to include shipping in the European Carbon Trading System, providing further incentive to buy new fuels or invest in on-board carbon capture. Implementation of carbon intensity indicator (CII) have by now caused many shipowners to invest in energy saving technologies to prolong life of existing assets, such as air lubrication, solar panels, rudders, new paint, sails, and foils.

The majority of existing ships will be forced to lower their speed by derating engines, which in turn means less trade and further focus on saving costs. The cost of energy in any form is very high, and the spread between high sulphur fuel oil and compliant fuel is consistently high.

Furthermore, shipowners realise that it may take some years before alternative fuel and on-board carbon capture technologies become available for shipping.

We therefore see that the scrubber market has gradually been picking up again. Even owners who have not previously invested in scrubbers are now requesting quotations for scrubber systems. Some owners are being pushed by charterers who want a lower operational cost of the asset. The trend is still to request open-loop scrubbers, as most of the fuel is consumed at high sea. It is also a trend to go for simple-to-use and fast-to-install scrubber systems.

In view of the scarcity of energy, it is of great importance that we all become more energy efficient and make use of whatever technology is available to reduce climate change. PureteQ Group is committed to continuously invest a major part of our earnings in R&D to provide optimisation of existing technologies, as well as new technologies within the fields of carbon capture and power-to-x.

For more information, contact: Anders Skibdal, CEO PureteQ Group Tel: + 45 4017 1400 Email: anders@pureteq.com pureteq.com

PureteQ WMS013 includes a user-friendly control system with software enabling retrofit to existing EGC systems. We offer our clients free-of-charge cloud-based software for environmental performance reporting and optimisation of scrubbers across fleets

CR OCEAN: A SILVER LINING IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

It would seem as if one cycle of bad news morphs into another one in what appears to be a never-ending spiral of violence, wars, health, and economic worries. And yet some of us manage to find hope: We’re making strides in protecting our oceans, a vital resource of unlimited need but limited life.

Protecting the ocean environment was the raison d’être of the MARPOL convention, which since 2010 has implemented a series of protocols that have ended in the actual reduction of Sulfur emissions, which has meant cleaner air for millions of people who live in and around coastal areas.

Given that shipping traffic ranks high in the list of polluters, how is MARPOL managing this monumental task? By setting strict standards and allowing multiple choices to ship owners. Use premium, Low Sulfur Fuel, or use exhaust cleaning technology. As additional benefits to using exhaust gas cleaning technology (scrubbers), dangerous particulates have been reduced and exhaust gas has been prepared for future decarbonization technologies.

At CR Ocean Engineering we have been doing our share in helping industries and the environment since 1917 with various innovating technologies including exhaust scrubbers. As part of that history, the CROE team has been manufacturing scrubbing systems for many decades, gaining valuable experience that forms the basis of today’s CROE system.

Our scrubbers are available in three standard configurations, customizable to a ship’s requirements: » Open-loop (hybrid ready): once through scrubber using sea-water » Closed-loop: a recirculating scrubber using freshwater with caustic » Hybrid: a combination of both designs for maximum flexibility CROE Scrubbers normally replace the silencers, are small in size, have compact configuration and have flexibility of design.

Some of the features of the CROE scrubbing systems include: » Option of bottom entry I-Type, side entry L-Type or our U-Type entry

designs to better fit any funnel configuration and simplify engine exhaust gas duct with or without a bypass. » Strategically configured exhaust gas inlet and scrubber drainage to eliminate any potential water backflow to the engine. » Eliminated circulation water storage from bottom of scrubber vessel to a separate tank at a lower elevation to reduce weight at the higher elevations, improving stability. » Alloy construction (external and internal) to extend the life of the system and to allow the exhaust gas to travel through the scrubber system at high temperatures in case of dry-run conditions without a bypass. » Used proprietary internals designed specifically to increase contact area with lower liquid flows to save on typical pumping costs associated with some scrubber designs. » Proprietary Caustic-Assist™ feature for Open-Loop assist operating in low alkalinity areas.

The CROE design has proven to be very reliable and effective for the clients.

While until recently, the primary focus for the CROE sales team has been the 0.1%S and the 0.5%S regulations on fuel sulfur content (as issued by IMO effective January 2015 and January 2020 respectively), the CROE research team has been busy developing new technologies for fine particulate reduction (PM<2.5µ), black carbon reduction, CO2 capture and sequestration and a totally new dry system that will eliminate wash water discharge.

While a handful of ports have implemented restrictions on the use of Open Loop Scrubbers, several independent studies that have shown that this discharge is not harmful to the sea nor to the sea life. To avoid conflicts on this issue, CROE partnered with Oberlin Filter to provide an easily-integrated wash-water filtration system to remove sludge in a non-hazardous dry form, streamlining the process to discharge cleaner water filtrate back in the body of water.

Furthermore, the use of scrubbing systems has a much smaller carbon footprint than using low sulfur fuels such as VLSFO and MGO. Additionally, burning Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (LSFO) increases the overall fuel costs for the vessel. Using low sulfur fuels, an already scarce commodity, will increase, rather than decrease, the ship’s environmental impact for CO2 and the very dangerous PM<2.5.

At CROE, we’ll continue helping our clients by speeding up yard work, reducing processes to the maximum. To this end, our new designs can be installed outside of the ship’s funnel and allow for greater prefabrication prior to the ship arriving at the site.

So those are the good news – good news in a sea of turbulence. And this protection of our oceans couldn’t come in at a better time. Because the world will always need shipping. Clean shipping will help save lives while making life better for all.

CROE© scrubber being delivered

“Protecting our oceans remains a priority”

For more information, contact: Dominique Philibert, President & COO Telephone: 1 (973) 455-0005 ext. 123 Email: dphilibert@croceanx.com croceanx.com CR Ocean Engineering, LLC is headquartered in New Jersey, US