Americas News
Standard Club Warns Against Using Open-Loop Scrubbers in Brazil
Ships in Brazilian waters should avoid using open-loop scrubbers until the country's authorities clarify their position on washwater discharge from the emissions-cleaning systems, according to insurance association Standard Club.
"While the Brazilian maritime authority regulation accepts the use of EGCS (scrubbers) as an alternative way of complying with the IMO 2020 sulphur cap, it is silent on whether there is any restriction or prohibition to discharge wash water from open-loop scrubbers within Brazilian waters and, if so, what is the distance from the nearest land point where discharge is allowed," the company said in a note to members on its website Monday.
"Based on above, it is recommended that until the relevant authority clarifies this issue, vessels calling at Brazilian ports are advised to switch to a closed-loop, if equipped with a hybrid scrubber, or use IMO 2020-compliant fuel while entering in national waters."
Bans on open-loop scrubber discharge in national waters are an operational irritant, in that they force shipowners to keep stocks of very low sulfur fuel oil on board as well as high sulfur fuel oil, but they are unlikely significantly to affect the economics of scrubber investments unless they are applied more widely at the regional or global level.
