Scrubbers could see a tenfold demand surge and be installed on as many as 3,000 to 5,000 ships annually
should the 0.5% global sulfur cap mandate come into force in 2020, according to Don Gregory, director of the
Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA).
Gregory’s comments come ahead of a key decision by a committee of the International Maritime Organization
(IMO), which will meet in London early next week. The bunker industry widely expects the committee to push
ahead with cutting the sulphur limit from 3.5% to 0.5% in 2020 rather than defer it to 2025.
Scrubbers, designed to wash exhaust gases from main and auxiliary boilers to remove sulfur dioxide, a gas
that is detrimental to human health as well as the environment. The uptake of scrubbers among shipowners is
significant because it will determine how much fuel oil demand remains, a key issue for refiners to determine
their fuel mix and production strategies.
Full article from Bunker World
