Scrubbers Temporary Solution for IMO2020, Says LNG Bunker Player

The global sulfur cap for marine fuel falls to 0.50% on January 1, 2020. File Image / Pixabay

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker player Titan LNG says the use of scrubbers are just a "temporary solution" for compliance when the global sulfur cap for marine fuel falls to 0.50% on January 1, 2020.

The IMO 2020 regulations also permit the use of otherwise noncompliant higher sulfur fuel to be burned, as long as the vessel is fitted with an exhaust gas cleaning system, more commonly known as a scrubber, to achieve an equivalent method of compliance.

"Ship owners are facing a choice with 2020 approaching: run on MGO, HFO with scrubbers, or go for LNG. Titan LNG believes that scrubbers can only be a temporary solution and that LNG fuelled ships, combined with power-to-gas or biogas offer a credible and cost competitive path to decarbonisation and improved air quality," the company wrote in a recent post on its website.

"We are confident that overcoming the barriers to scaling up LNG as a transportation fuel is worth it and we stand by our mission to help eradicate oil burn."

While the lack of support for scrubbers by an LNG bunker supplier may be unsurprising, the case for scrubbers has nevertheless been the subject of much debate and come 2020 most vessels are still expected to opt for burning a compliant fuel.

Only last week, oil products carrier Scorpio Tankers said uncertainly over the 2020 picture meant it was putting back any decisions on installing scrubbers on its ships until 2020.

In contrast, Olli Somerkallio, Head of Machinery Department, Foreship Ltd, this month said that based on its discussions with oil companies, it believes that by 2030 one third of shipping as measured by bunker demand will use exhaust gas scrubbers and HSFO as a compliance method with the sulfur cap.

As Ship & Bunker reported yesterday, shipping group Wilhelmsen also believes scrubbers may well end up as a popular choice for shipowners to meet new emission regulations.