Scrubber Retrofit Completed on Norwegian Jewel

NCL has announced the completion of the installation of a new exhaust gas scrubber sysem on the Norwegian Jewel.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCL) Tuesday announced the completion of the installation of a new exhaust gas scrubber system on the Norwegian Jewel, a move the company says is part of its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and air emissions.

The new installation is said to be expected to reduce the vessel's Sulfur Oxide (SOx) emissions by an estimated 1,500 tonnes "in the years to come."

"Norwegian is firmly dedicated to upholding the highest standards of excellence in environmental protection practices, as well as leading the industry in seeking out technology that makes our ships not only an enjoyable vacation experience, but also ensures that we continuously protect the environment that our guests love to explore" said Robin Lindsay, Executive Vice President of Vessel Operations at NCL.

The company says the installation also marks the first time a cruise line has installed a hybrid scrubber system on a cruise ship that is still in service.

The Yara Marine Technologies (Yara Marine) hybrid scrubber system, which consists of five scrubbers - one for each engine - is able to operate in dry mode, open loop, or closed loop, and is capable of reducing sulfur and particulate emissions into the air by as much as 99 percent and 85 percent, respectively.

As Ship & Bunker had previously reported, the retrofit installation is part of NCL's 2014 plan to install 28 exhaust gas scrubbers across six of its ships, including Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Pearl, and Norwegian Sun.