Wärtsilä sees a continued interest in exhaust gas abatement systems

Wärtsilä said it managed a record-breaking amount of scrubber deliveries in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

A significant order was booked in November 2020 with a Japanese shipyard, Japan Marine United (JMU), to install a 25 MW scrubber on a new Japanese-owned Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) set to be delivered in 2022.

Wärtsilä said it had 171 scrubber installations in 2020.

The company said the order reinforces the long-term position of exhaust gas treatment technologies. The system will run in an open loop configuration. The 2022 delivery date for the vessel proves that scrubbers are seen as a full lifecycle asset. Wärtsilä’s scrubbers take a modular approach and can be upgraded over time, with the potential to mitigate nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).

The order comes as the latest milestone in Wärtsilä’s longstanding relationship with JMU. In all, Wärtsilä has installed 35 scrubbers on vessels being built at the yard.

“We were delighted to end the record-breaking last year with this order for a scrubber on a newbuild VLCC being built by our friends and partners at JMU,” said Scott Oh, Director, Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment Asia. “To achieve continued sustained orders globally, despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is testament to the commitment of our teams and partners.

“This installation is a clear indication of how important scrubbers are becoming for newbuild vessels, as they aim to keep up with shipping’s tightening environmental regulatory landscape. We are confident that the industry understands both the power of exhaust gas cleaning technologies as compliance solutions for today, but also to meet a range of challenges beyond sulfur.”