Safe Bulkers to put Scrubbers on Half of Fleet

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday September 11, 2018

Dry bulk operator Safe Bulkers is to install exhaust emission abatement units, more commonly referred to as scrubbers, on 19 of its ships, the company has said.

The move is to make sure its ships comply with the lower Interational Maritime Organisation sulfur cap on bunker which comes into force at the start of 2020.

The units will be installed on five kamsarmax ships, 13 post-panamax vessel and one capesize bulker. The cost per vessel will be about $2 million per vessel, the company said.

Company president Loukas Barmparis expects the pay-back period to be short "based on the price differential between heavy fuel oil and compliant fuels after January 1, 2020".

The shipping company has selected scrubber units from manufacturer Alfa Laval.

"The  retrofit  of  scrubbers  is  a  demanding job involving the selection of reliable and durable equipment from manufacturer  with  extensive  track  record,  detailed  engineering  studies  and  high  quality  of  installation which  should  lead  to  reliable  operations  for  years  to come," Barmparis said.