Wärtsilä Helps Shipowner Future-Proof with CCS-Ready Scrubbers on Feeders

Wärtsilä highlights that it has been contracted for one of the first retrofit projects preparing in-service ships for the future adoption of carbon capture and storage integrated into the vessel’s emissions scrubbers. The companies highlight taking this forward approach prepares for the emerging emissions regulations including the EU’s carbon fees.

German shipping company Leonhardt & Blumberg contracted with Wärtsilä for the installation of a new generation of scrubbers aboard three of its feeder containerships which will also be CCS-Ready. This anticipates the future use of carbon capture and storage.

Scrubbers remain popular in the shipping community as a means of addressing the long-standing regulations on emissions. Wärtsilä highlights the technology significantly reduces a vessel’s operational expenses by enabling it to operate with less costly and more readily available heavy fuel (HFO). At the same time, Wärtsilä says it can significantly reduce the ship’s carbon footprint in line with the industry’s decarbonization targets. So far, most of the installations of CCS systems have been on a trial basis and with newbuilds.

“This retrofit project with Wärtsilä’s advanced exhaust treatment system represents an exciting step forward in reducing GHG emissions with CCS technology. It will give our ships a head-start in being compliant with future regulatory requirements,” said Tim Goettsche, Fleetmanager of Leonhardt & Blumberg.

One of Germany’s oldest shipping companies, Leonhardt & Blumberg currently has a fleet of 29 feeder ships built between 2000 and 2018. The company’s focus is on vessels in the range of 1,000 to 3,600 TEU.

“Our CCS-Ready scrubber technology has been proven in extensive testing over the past two and a half years. It is based on our deep experience and in-house know-how and will deliver a significant contribution to the industry’s efforts to reduce shipping’s environmental impact,” comments Sigurd Jenssen, Director, Exhaust Treatment, Wärtsilä Marine.   

The scrubbers are termed CCS-Ready because, as part of their installation, Wärtsilä will perform additional design and engineering work to permit future retrofits for a full CCS system on the vessels. An integrated CCS system, working in harmony with a scrubber system, is based on the principle of removing as many main pollutants from the exhaust as possible, tackling each pollutant in a modular fashion. Once other gases are removed, the remaining exhaust can then be scrubbed for carbon which can be stored onboard and disposed of on arrival at port.

The three 3,600 TEU container vessels, Hans Europe, Hansa  Asia, and Hansa Europe were built between 2012 and 2014 and will be installed with a CCS-Ready, Vessel General Permit (VGP)-compliant, 27.5 MW Wärtsilä scrubber system. Greentec Marine Engineering is working on the project for the retrofit engineering and installation with Wärtsilä reporting the systems are being delivered on a fast-track basis, commencing this month.