DNV Warns of Sulfur Emissions Non-Compliance Caused by Faulty Equipment

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday November 1, 2024

Ships with scrubbers are increasingly being caught out for accidental non-compliance with sulfur emissions regulations because of faulty equipment, according to classification society DNV.

Ships experiencing problems with their scrubbers are required to report the issue to their flag administration and the relevant port state administration, but these problems are sometimes not discovered because of faulty emissions monitoring equipment, DNV said in a note on its website.

"An increasing number of vessels have encountered unexpected port state issues related to sulphur emissions limit exceedance caused by inaccurate readings," the company said.

"These false measurement readings are often the result of poorly maintained exhaust gas analyzers.

"Since crew members are not experts in SO2/CO2 emissions monitoring systems, they may struggle to correctly interpret measurement signals and analyzer readings."

Crew members should look out for the following signs that may indicate inaccurate readings, according to DNV:

  • Irritating odour in the exhaust plume, sometimes with eye irritation
  • No or very little fluctuations in the measurement readings even after adjusting the wash water flow; measurement readings may drop even further into the negative range after increasing the wash water flow
  • CO2 readings below 5%

Ship & Bunker News Team
To contact the editor responsible for this story email us at editor@shipandbunker.com