Politicians and voters clearly don’t understand the ramifications of IMO 2020, especially regarding gas scrubbers. The shipping industry needs to educate the wider world. And it needs to start now.
Rumours that the marine gas scrubber market is running out of steam are wide of the mark - especially for those scrubber providers with huge production capacities.
Scorpio Tankers Inc. (“Scorpio Tankers”) has confirmed that it has ordered a further 14 ENVI-Marine™ emission control systems (the “Systems”) for vessels it owns or manages in 2020, at a combined cost of USD$20.3m.
Scorpio Bulkers Inc. (“Scorpio Bulkers”) has confirmed that it has ordered a further 9 ENVI-Marine™ emission control systems (the “Systems”) for vessels it owns or manages in 2020, at a combined cost of USD$13.0m.
Scrubber uptake quadrupled in 2018. Around this time last year, just over 500 scrubbers had been installed or ordered. By the end of this year, 3 500 vessels are expected to have scrubbers.
Critics of open loop scrubbers seem to forget that the technology was specifically accepted by the IMO as a legitimate means of complying with the new sulphur regulations.