February 19 2015

February 19 2015

Technical Meeting Report on:  Mr. Ljubomir Markulin, Head of Retrofit and Scrubber Department of SAACKE Marine Systems, Croatia, speech on the subject of: ''Exhaust Gas Scrubbers - An Abatement System as an Alternative under IMO MARPOL Annex VI'', presented on 19 February, 2015.

By Agapi Gerogiannaki

 

This presentation was the fifth for the current season and covered the MAPROL regulations update and the exhaust Gas Scrubbers installation. It is composed of five parts.The first part was about motivations for installing Scrubbers, the second covered the legislations and requirements of IMO, EU sulphur directives and USA EPA Vessel General Permit (VGP) , the third Introduction to SAACKE LMB EGC System, fourth Testing and Commisioning and the fifth and last the Non-100% Load design Option.
Operational air emissions by ships was summarized. NOx - Nitrogen Oxides and Nox emissions need to comply with MARPOL Annex VI, Reg 13, SOx - Sulphur Oxides and SOx emissions need to comply with the regulation MARPOL Annex VI, Reg 14,  PM - Particulate Matter  restricted by ECA North America - MARPOL Annex VI, Reg 14 and finally  CO2  - Greenhouse Gas Emissions - GHG regulated by MARPOL  Annex VI, Chapter 4 - ''Regulations on energy  efficiency for ships''. An Overview and timeline for IMO Air Pollution Regulations  was also presented. Cost effectiveness chart was introduced for the period 1990-2009 comparing the use of MGO and the use of HFO with  within ECA area. The investment proved  to be much more efficient when vessel operates more often in ECA within a certain period of time.
One important motivation of shipowners to install scrubbers additionally to cost of fuels presented to be the Greener image of the vessel. Mr Markulin also mentioned the disadvantaged of scrubbers:Marine engineers do not like them - supervision and maintenance of sofisticated machinery scrubbing equipment instead of fuel change over (HFO to MGO).The owners do not want them - CAPEX and OPEX relatively high, ROI long in case the ship is not trading in ECA, of hire of the ship during installation and testing.The “environmentalists” do not want them  as  there are contaminated effluent waters (pH, Turbidity, PAH) and they  prefer  the solution of the fuel change over.It was also mentioned that many professionals in shipping do not know what the scrubber really is. Nevertheless, many have strong opinion about it. Maybe, because they have heard that the interpretation of legislation is still uncertain, that the technology is still not mature and the cost/benefit is still uncertain.
Certification according to IMO MEPC 184(59) is   2009 Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems. An Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGC) is an alternative method to comply with Regulation 14.1. and 14.4 of Revised MARPOL Annex VI; Sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM). It was demonstrated also the Compliance on basis of SO2/CO2 ratio as an equivalence to fuel oil sulphur content. Legislative requirements were also presented such as pH, turbidity of products, Nitrate-Nitrite and dissolved and Total Metals as per US EPA VGP (Vessel General Permit) - additional requirements to MEPC 184(59) It was also mentioned that analysis of the produced water and masses need to be maintained on board for at least 3 years. Discharge of exhaust gas scrubber washwater into Connecticut waters is prohibited (no open-loop operation allowed). It was also noted that certification is also a continuous procedure and does not stop at the time the scrubbers are installed but in a scheduled surveys intervals. SAACKE scrubbers and their technology also presented and the fact that they can be installed and designed  on Non-100% Load  Option.
This Technical Meeting was attended by five non-member, twenty five SNAME members and ten guests. After the presentation a small reception took place with a great success.


From left: D. Malapetsas, N. Dionissopoulos, A. Gerogiannaki (Secretary/Treasurer), L. Markulin (author), P. Dimitriadis

The presentation can be found below: Presentation, Markulin, 19 Feb. 2015.pdf