Scrubber-Fitted Ship Operators Must Act Early as OSPAR Discharge Ban Nears: DNV

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday July 28, 2025

Classification society DNV is urging shipowners to assess their exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) strategies ahead of a phased ban on discharge water in OSPAR waters.

The ban, agreed by 16 OSPAR contracting parties, will prohibit open-loop scrubber discharge in coastal areas of the north-east Atlantic from 1 July 2027, and all EGCS discharges - including closed-loop - by 1 July 2029, DNV said in a report last week.

"Ships that can operate their EGCS in zero-discharge mode should not have any issues with the upcoming ban on discharge water," the company said.

"However, holding tank capacity may limit operational flexibility for many ships."

DNV advised that ships fitted with open-loop or hybrid EGCSs without holding tanks should plan for upgrades to enable zero-discharge operation ahead of the compliance deadlines.

Where technical upgrades are not viable, switching to compliant fuel while in affected waters remains the only option.

"Any modification to an approved EGCS requires amendments and approval of the relevant statutory documents and, where applicable, MED certification," DNV said.

"Since conversion to hybrid mode affects system performance in terms of both air and water emissions, the latest scrubber guideline – MEPC.340(77), effective from 1 June 2022 – should be applied for statutory re-approval."

Ship & Bunker News Team
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