It appear that scrubbers have moved a problem of SOX, NOX and particle pollution of the air to a problem of pollution of the waters ships sail in:
Does this apply only to Open Loop Scrubbers, or are there also problems created by Closed Loop Scrubbers?? (Different, but yet a problem)
Predictably there were a counter from CA within a day:
Unless particulates are captured and offloaded for disposal ashore, doesn’t everything leaving the stack end up in the water anyway? Maybe some of the airborne pollutants take a while to get washed down by rain but eventually they will end up in the sea.
Apparently it is the concentration that is the problem, Scrubber was water from a few ships scattered across the oceans is OK (somewhat) but when a lot of ships discharge into the same narrow body of water it becomes a problem.
Scrubbers remove more than just particle pollution, they are also removing large amount of SOX and NOX from the exhaust gas. (That is their primer purpose and reason for installing)
The scrubbers or “exhaust gas cleaning systems” currently in use remove particulates and sulfur compounds, they do not remove NOx.
NOx reduction requires an entirely different chemical process and catalytic devices. NOx reduction is regulated by IMO under the NOx Technical Code.
Scrubbers is gaining as fuel price gap widen:
i think politicians sometimes create these issues, after they know who is going to get the money and they have their stock purchases secured. ,… no, really !!
Sorry about reviving this old thread:
Meh, who needs mechanically propelled ships anyway? Just bring back the sails, ditch the engineers, and enjoy the green life.
Agree!!! But it has to be ships built from wood that doesn’t deplete the forest.
That’s why I run my boat on safe, renewable and clean-burning whale oil.
Oh, don’t wince. At least it ain’t baby oil.
As of January 1, 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) put a limit on the sulfur content in shipping fuels, reducing the global upper limit on sulfur content from 3.50% to 0.50%.
This reduced limit was mandatory and led to over a 75% drop in the emission of sulfur oxides. While great for the environment in many respects (e.g. less acid rain and ocean acidification), there was also a not-so-unexpected consequence.
By cleaning up shipping fuels, massive regions of the world’s oceans that were protected from heating by shipping sulfate aerosols are now experiencing rapid warming. This includes the main shipping routes between Asia and the Western US as well as the major routes from the Eastern US to Europe and the Middle East.
From here: WTF is Happening? An Overview
The economics of scrubbers: