IE WEEK: Scrubber Plus Carbon Capture Could Be 'Dream Solution' for Decarbonisation

by Julian Macqueen, Senior Editor, Ship & Bunker
Wednesday March 1, 2023

Combining scrubbing technology with onboard carbon capture equipment could be the dream solution for decarbonising shipping if the technology became available, according to a presentation at an industry event in London this week.

Addressing the Argus Oil and Future Fuel Forum on Tuesday, Argus marine fuels price analyst Stefka Wechsler said that the question of where to store the captured carbon onboard was a drag on the technology's development. But if it did emerge, ship operators would be looking at an attractive solution to decarbonising their ships.

"It is the dream," Wechsler told the event.

Speaking to Ship & Bunker on the forum sidelines, Weschler said that there was probably about a five-year window in which the technology could emerge to make an impact on the market.

One ship operator speaking to Ship & Bunker at a separate International Energy Week (IE Week) event said that his company had looked at what was currently available and found the cost to be prohibitive. 

Any solution to shipping decarbonisation, including scrubbing/onboard carbon capture, would have to make sense in terms of average freight rates over time to justify the investment, the operator added.

IE Week (formerly International Petroleum Week) runs in London from February 27.