Fifteen months after the IMO implemented a global cap on sulfur emissions, a growing number of ships have chosen maritime scrubber technolongy as a means of compliance while also saving money on more expensive fuel, according to a March 19, 2021 Clean Shipping Report.
“BIMCO analysts have noted that now 15 months have passed since the implementation date for the IMO global sulphur cap, and during that time, the number of scrubbers installed on the world fleet has nearly doubled, from 2,011 ships on 1 January 2020 to 3,935 by 1 March 2021”, says the report.
The note provides a breakdown of the type of ships adopting the new technology: “Among the main shipping sectors, 15.9% of all containerships (28.7% in TEU), 11.4% of all dry bulkers (22.7% in DWT), 24.5% of all crude oil tankers (29.9% in DWT) and 4.2% of all oil product tankers (13.4% in DWT) are now fitted with a scrubber to remove sulphur oxides from the exhaust gasses.”
The news article quotes Peter Sand, BIMCO Chief Shipping Analyst who states that the bottom line is the key driver in choosing this technology : High sulfur fuel is far less expensive than the premium, low sulfur alternative. “The lowest price spread can be found on the US west coast while the largest spread can be found in the Middle East. In between, you have US$118/t as the most common spread. That’s the price spread you will find in Singapore.”
