EMEA News
New Sponge Technology Developed to Clean Ships' Exhaust Emissions
A pilot project funded by Norway's state-backed Innovation Programme for Maritime Activities and Offshore Operations (MAROFF) has developed a steel sponge technology to clean emissions from ships, Climate News Network reports.
The technology was reportedly originally developed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for the gas industry to use on oil wells, and involves a large spinning steel sponge that purportedly acts as a separator.
The technology was said to have been spun off into its own company called InnSep in 2011, with the company having been tasked with finding maritime applications through the pilot project.
The technology reportedly cleans exhaust emissions by separating seawater from pollutants, with InnSep now looking to take the technology to market.
The company said that it is aiming to find the fastest and cheapest way to integrate the technology, especially as there is a promising opportunity with more stringent emissions regulations coming into effect.
As of the beginning of the year, all ships travelling within Emission Control Areas (ECA) have also been required to use marine fuel with a sulfur content of no more than 0.10 percent by weight.
In the open ocean, the sulfur limit is 3.5 percent, though that figure is expected to be reduced to 0.50 percent in 2020 pending a scheduled 2018 review.
Early this year, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) warned that the 0.50 percent limit was likely to come into effect in 2020 and not 2025 as some shippers hoped, largely due to political factors.
