Scrubber Installs Demand Unique Solutions, Says Foreship

Olli Somerkallio, Head of Machinery Department at Foreship.
Image Credit: Foreship

Olli Somerkallio, Head of Machinery Department at design and naval architectural firm Foreship Ltd. (Foreship) suggests that there is no "one size fits all solution" when it comes to exhaust gas scrubbers, Marine Log reports.

"Fitting large equipment to existing vessels is always challenging," said Somerkallio.

"Scrubber installations seem straightforward, but they actually call on our full-service capabilities as a design house, involving our machinery, hull, electric, stability and safety departments."

Somerkallio suggests that, while most of the shipping industry will utilise lower sulfur bunkers to meet tighter regulations on sulfur emission in 2020, a dip in high sulfur HFO prices could translate to as many as 30 percent of ships moving back to high sulfur HFO by 2030.

Further, while the total number of installed scrubbers by 2020 may not be more that 4,000, Somerkallio says future oil prices could show a positive influence in return on investment (ROI).

"Scrubber installation is one more example of having to give up revenue-earning space to meet a regulatory requirement, so our target must be to minimize the pain for the owner," said Somerkallio.

Somerkallio notes that, in all cases, scrubber installation begins at the design stage, in which a feasibility study is conducted, comparing available scrubber equipment against the needs of the vessel.

"The system work is also usually more complex than it first appears," said Somerkallio, adding: "new pumping, water treatment and tank storage equipment will be required, but consideration is also needed at the individual ship level of the need to integrate the EGCS with existing equipment, the routing of large diameter piping and its communication with the ship's automation systems."

As Ship & Bunker reported earlier this week, Hydrex Underwater Technology (Hydrex) says it has recorded an increase in repairs to the pipe work and overboard outlets of those ships that have exhaust gas scrubbers installed.