European shipowners express concern over ability to use scrubbers

As the Jan. 1 deadline for lowering sulfur emissions approaches, water regulations could inhibit use of scrubbers.

   European shipowners are asking their governments to adopt clear, long-term and harmonized rules on discharges of washwater produced by open-loop scrubbers installed on ships.
   On Jan. 1,  all ships sailing in the sulfur emission control areas of Europe in the English channel, North Sea and Baltic sea must use use bunker fuels with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 percent, or reach a similar level of emissions using of alternative fuel or abatement technology such as scrubbers that use water to wash unwanted substances such as sulfur from an exhaust gas stream.
   But the European Community Shipowners Association said a Water Framework Directive from the European Union is a source of concern, “as it sets limits for the content of pollutants in ports, estuaries and coastal areas. This, in turn, means that the discharges of washwater will in some areas be well under the limits set by the WFD, while in other areas with poorer water quality, washwater discharges might be prohibited by member state legislation. The resulting lack of harmonization and clarity will, without a doubt, hamper the uptake of scrubber technology.”
   The European Community Shipowners Association said the WFD also “foresees a progressive reduction of some substances and a complete phasing out of others.”
   Patrick Verhoeven, ECSA’s secretary general, said, “The current uncertainty jeopardizes investments already made by shipowners eager to meet the compliance criteria before the fast-approaching deadline of Jan. 1, but more importantly, hinders the commissioning of future scrubber installations. Any restriction of the use of scrubber technology should, in our view, be preceded by a scientific assessment with any changes in the approval procedure of such systems reflected under IMO rules. Also, shipowners that have already committed to a scrubbing system should not be disproportionately penalized.”