More ports ban open-loop scrubbers
29 January 2019
A number of ports have adopted a prohibition on the discharge of washwater used in ships open-loop SOx scrubbers:
- China’s maritime authority has banned the discharge of washwater from open-loop scrubbers from January 1, 2019. The ban on discharges affects (1) all port areas of the coastal control area (within 12 nautical miles of China coast); (2) the inland river control area (regulated waters of Yangtze River and Xijiang River); and (3) the Bohai area.
- The Port of Fujairah, the only multi-purpose port on the East Coast of the UAE, and a major bunkering and energy hub, has decided to ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its waters. “Ships will have to use compliant fuel once the IMO 2020 sulphur cap comes into force,” according to the Port of Fujairah Notice to Mariners No. 252 dated January 22, 2019.
- The Irish Port of Waterford announced that as of the start of January 2019, the discharge of exhaust gas scrubber washwater is prohibited within the limits of the Port of Waterford Company. This applies to all vessels berthed at any berth within the port’s jurisdiction and vessels on transit to and from any berth or anchorage. Upon entering port limits any vessel fitted with exhaust gas scrubbers must run on a “closed loop system” for the duration of the port stay.
These actions follow the prohibition on scrubber washwater discharge announced in November 2018 by the Port of Singapore.
IMO regulations require that ships reduce the maximum sulfur content in their fuels to below 0.5%—compared to the current 3.5%—effective January 1, 2020. In lieu of switching to low sulfur fuels, ships are allowed to install exhaust gas treatment systems (EGTS) to control SOx emissions, commonly referred to as SOx scrubbers. Most ships that already installed scrubbers opted for the least expensive open-loop systems that use seawater to absorb SOx, and then discharge it into the sea.
Under the washwater discharge prohibitions announced by ports, ship operators who installed open-loop scrubbers to avoid the use of low sulfur fuels would still need to switch to a low sulfur fuel in the affected waters.
The discharge of scrubber washwater into the sea carries a number of potential risks to the ecosystem. These include the reduction of the pH value, the increase in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to oxidation of sulfites carried by the effluent, temporary temperature rise, increased turbidity, and discharge of other pollutants such as heavy metals.
Source: ClassNK | World Maritime News