The speed at which marine scrubbers have advanced is nothing short of rapid. From bulky and unpractical structures to those which are relatively small in size, operated with very little human interaction, and have the ability to function in both fresh and seawater, it is clear that amongst manufacturers of marine scrubber systems, innovation is rife.
Such great feats of innovation have been spurred on by ship operator demands for such systems to have limited impact on their operations. Cargo space reduction is a major no-no in the eyes of the operator, as are intensive training requirements for crew to be able to operate and maintain such systems. There is a thirst for scrubbers that are flexible in terms of operational modes and this has bred a new wave of hybrid machine innovation.
On the quest to reduce the impact on cargo space, many scrubber manufacturers have focussed on space requirement reduction as a key feature. There are numerous systems on the market that double up as a silencer, thus ensuring that they serve a multiple purpose without impacting the ship’s cargo carrying capacity. Using scrubbers as silencers also means that no structural modifications are required, this in addition to the scrubber benefiting from an overall low weight results in minimal changes to stability conditions.
It was Green Tech Marine, now operating as Yara Marine Technologies since its acquisition by Yara International in 2015, that pioneered the installation of scrubbers in the casing and funnel of a ferry to reduce loss of cargo space, this innovative approach catalysed further developments of systems that could fit into this area of the ship. A milestone for scrubber innovation.
Over the past few years the market has welcomes the emergence of hybrid scrubbers that offer flexibility for operation in either open-loop or closed-loop mode, using seawater or freshwater respectively, to suit whichever type of environment is sailed in.
CR Ocean Engineering’s scrubber system exemplifies progressions that have been made in hybrid scrubber technology. Their scrubber can operate in open-loop or closed-loop mode, offering the flexibility for use in varying alkalinities of water. Likewise, DuPont’s hybrid scrubber also allows for operation in freshwater environments, but allows the operator switch the scrubber from open-loop when the water alkalinity changes.
Hybrid systems are also making waves in the industry by becoming more autonomous when it comes to their operation. Such hybrid systems that harness greater autonomy can automatically detect when the ship is entering different alkalinities of water and subsequently alter their operational mode to suit the processing requirements of that particular region.
Another issue that has been the focus of innovation for manufacturers is the speed of installation and the minimisation of ship downtime required for scrubber installation. CR Ocean Engineering developed a scrubber system that can be installed whilst the ship is sailing, annihilating the requirement for a ship to be in port for the system installation, thus reducing downtime.
This stands as a prime example of how not just the scrubbers themselves, but how technology and innovation has reached new highs where it is possible to retrofit equipment while maintaining a ship’s business as usual operation.
Innovation is also rife around available financing options for scrubbing technology. Greater access to financing and greater avenues for scrubber technology investment will only further spur innovation in this technology field. For instance, Clean Marine and Wärtsilä provide a funding solution to drive the uptake of scrubbers via a fuel adder, providing a fuel premium on the price of heavy fuel oil (HFO) and allowing the ship owner to install the scrubber without having the burden of the associated upfront costs.
In terms of future development, further innovation will depend on market conditions and the uptake of the technology versus liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other bunker fuel alternatives. Scrubber manufacturers are keeping the competition close by furiously innovating to adapt their systems to ship operator’s needs and fluctuating market conditions.
