EMEA News
Sweden to Ban Open-Loop Scrubber Discharge from July
The Swedish government is set to ban the discharge of washwater from open-loop scrubbers in its waters.
The prohibition on open-loop scrubber discharges from ships in Swedish territorial waters will begin on July 1, followed by a complete ban on discharges from all scrubber systems starting January 1, 2029, the Swedish government said.
The move follows a growing trend in Europe, with the Port of Amsterdam recently banning open-loop scrubber discharge.
Meanwhile, several environmental NGOs are pushing for a continent-wide ban, citing marine pollution concerns.
The scrubber industry's own research argues against the need for bans on washwater discharge. A 2021 scrubber industry-funded study concluded that washwater discharge had no toxic impact on fish and only minor, short-term effects on algae and crustaceans at high concentrations.
The study characterised the risk to the aquatic environment as acceptable.
Scrubber systems allow ships to continue using cheaper HSFO while meeting the IMO's global 0.50% sulfur emission limit.
Last year, the Clean Shipping Alliance (CSA) questioned the push for scrubber bans in Sweden, stating there is no definitive proof that washwater discharges cause significant environmental damage.
They argue that port bans and national restrictions are based more on perception than science.
Banning scrubber systems could backfire - scrubber-equipped ships cut nitrogen oxides (Nox), sulfur, organic compound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), ultra-fine particulates, and even CO2 better than MGO on a well-to-wake basis, CSA said.
