DHT Anticipating Stricter Rules on the Use of Scrubbers

320,050 dwt VLCC DHT Condor. Image Credit: DHT Holdings

DHT Holdings, Inc. (DHT) is anticipating stricter rules for the use of scrubbers within territorial waters.

“[W]e configured our fuel tank lay-out allowing us to carry various grades of fuels facilitating the flexibility to consume compliant fuels with 0.5% or less Sulphur content when in emission control areas and in ports that does not permit scrubbers,” co-chief executives Trygve Munthe and Svein Moxnes Harfjeld said Monday in a Letter to Shareholders.

“We have elected this configuration in anticipation of countries implementing stricter rules related to use of scrubbers when ships operate in their respective near seas and ports.”

The letter follows Singapore’s announcement Friday it will ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its waters.

DHT aims to have scrubbers on two-thirds of its 27-strong fleet thanks to a scrubber retrofit programme covering 16 vessels, while two new buildings delivered this year came fitted with units.

Fifteen of the scrubbers will clean down to 0.10% equivalence for operation within the applicable emission control areas (ECA), DHT added today.

Having said in July its scrubber-equipped vessels could “potentially create a super-profit” for the firm, and in September was revealed as a founding member of scrubber advocacy group Clean Shipping Alliance 2020 (CSA 2020), today DHT struck a more neutral tone on the technology.

“We are neither for nor against scrubbers, but deem it our responsibility to position DHT as best as we can ahead of the implementation of the new regulations,” the CEOs wrote, adding that they saw the technology as “an economical way to comply with the new regulations.“

“We like our current position.”