With approximately 4,000 scrubbers already installed on ships or currently on order worldwide, it would be easy to assume that the process is already well known and there is nothing new in maritime exhaust gas cleaning. In this field, various types of wet scrubbers are certainly well established, no matter whether they are open loop, closed loop, hybrid ready or hybrid, explain Andritz’s Marco Dierico and René Schöberl.
The “wet scrubber solution” has been operating successfully for many years and complies with the current regulations of IMO MARPOL Annex VI, however this solution involves significant energy consumption, and discharge of the wash water back into the sea could also be an issue in certain regions.
ANDRITZ is proud to offer an additional solution in the field of the maritime exhaust gas cleaning. Based on its in-depth and long-term experience gathered from land-based applications, ANDRITZ can offer two dry filtration solutions in addition to the well-known wet scrubber variations (SeaSOx Scrubber, formerly known as SeaSOxwet) already available.
Depending on the customer’s needs or requirements, it is possible to install SeaSOx Dual Filtration or SeaSOx Multi Filtration in order to be prepared for compliance with additional emission guidelines. SeaSOx Dual Filtration is used for the abatement of sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulates. SeaSOx Multi Filtration additionally removes nitrogen oxides (NOx).
ANDRITZ has identified specific target markets for this system in the shipping segments where stricter emission guidelines will be soon required. These are ferries, RoRo, RoPax, feeder vessels, coastal liners, inland waterway shipping, but also cruise ships during a stay in port or any other vessels entering an area where particulate or NOx removal is required.
The ANDRITZ SeaSOx filtration solution can remove SOx, particulates and NOx, which is comparable to or exceeds the performance of a diesel engine equipped with an SCR and DPF system. This cleaning efficiency (for SOx and particulates) has already been demonstrated and issued with a DNV GL certificate for the 10 MW installation on the RoPax ferry “Piana”, operated by La Méridionale between Marseille and Corsica in France.
ANDRITZ specializes in working directly with customers to develop an optimized solution for each company, ship or operating profile and in response to customers’ individual needs.
That is why different vessels will require different solutions. In-depth discussions with the client to find the right solution for every vessel is essential in good collaboration to achieve the best-performing exhaust gas cleaning system. As filtration is a new technology in the maritime sector, the following table provides a general comparison of a SeaSOx Scrubber (Hybrid) and a SeaSOx Dual/Multi Filtration system.
Parameter | Unit | SeaSOx Scrubber (hybrid) | SeaSOx Dual/ Multi Filtration |
SOx removal performance | %S | 0.1% | 0.1 % |
Particulate removal performance (mass reduction) | % | Up to 75% max. (not certified) | > 99.5% (certified) |
Ultra-fine particulate removal (< 1µm) performance (number reduction) | % | None – cannot remove particulates < 3µm | > 99.5%, including PM10 and PM 2.5, PM 1 (certified) |
NOx removal performance | Not possible, requires an SCR system | Available with the Multi Filtration option (no extra space required) | |
Main absorption media | Sea water | NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate powder) | |
Consumption of additional media | Various options possible for closed loop operation: NaOH, MgO, Mg(OH)2, Na2CO3, NaHCO3 | Compressed air | |
Main scrubber/filter material | Alloy 31, SMO 254 and Super Duplex | Carbon steel | |
Zero water discharge | Yes, in closed loop with sea water and sludge storage in tanks | Yes, no water used for absorption |
A serious comparison between these two solutions is only possible if all parameters are considered. So the total system weight, the necessary space, the additional benefits of the filtration technology, and the question of installation must also be considered. A comparison of the filtration system with an open loop scrubber is not useful as these technologies are used for different requirements. Wherever only SO2 removal is required and water discharge is allowed, an open loop scrubber will be the most competitive system. That is why ANDRITZ offers all solutions and finds the best one for each vessel.
Whenever more stringent emission limits are required, the filtration system offers clear advantages (the additional and perhaps not immediately obvious benefits of the dry system are mentioned below):
– Less power consumption (approx. 1/10 of that of a wet scrubber)
– No dry dock needed (no sea chests or overboard installations)
– No wash (or waste) water discharge
– No circulating fluids
– No harmful sorbents
– No plume
– Less equipment overall
To provide a real comparison of a scrubber and a filtration system, the following showcase offers technical information for a cruise ship. The table compares the data for a closed loop SeaSOx Scrubber with those of a SeaSOx Dual Filtration system during a stay in port when only one main engine is in operation to generate electricity. The additional benefit of the filtration system in this case is the removal of particulate, a facility that is very important on passenger ships. Due to the fact that wash water discharge from open loop scrubbers is often forbidden in port, the comparison is made between a hybrid system in closed loop, zero-discharge mode and dry operation.
Parameter | Unit | SeaSOx Scrubber | SeaSOx Dual Filtration |
Engine type | 4-stroke diesel engine | ||
Engine model | WÄRTSILÄ 12V46F | ||
Connected power | kW | 12,750 (1 x 85% ME) | |
Main media flow rate | |||
Recirculation water flow | m3/h | 1,150 | None |
Cooling water flow to heat exchanger | m3/h | 1,000 | None |
Compressed air | Nm3/h | Instrument air only | 300 Nm³/h |
Wash water segregation | m3/h | 4 | None |
Sludge/residue produced | kg/h | 70 | 380 |
Caustic mass flow | kg/h
|
270 (NaOH 50% solution) | 460 (NaHCO3 powder) |
Scrubber/filter dimensions (LxWxH) | mm | 3,000 x 5,000 x 9,700 | 5,200 x 7,450 x 11,000 |
Total operating weight | kg | 70,000
10,000 scrubber 5,000 GRP piping 10,000 aux. equipment 45,000 circulating fluids |
49,000
35,000 filter 3,000 steel piping 10,000 aux. equipment 1,000 circulating powder |
Required tanks/additional space | |||
Process tank | m3 | 21 | None |
Caustic tank (1 week) | m3 | 30 (NaOH 50% solution) | 95 (NaHCO3 powder) |
Segregation tank (1 week) | m3 | 670 | None |
Wet sludge tank (1 week) | m3 | 7 | None |
Dry residue tank (1 week) | m3 | None | 80 |
Energy requirement
(at design load) |
kW | 270 | 35 |
Fuel consumption increase | kg/day | 1,170 | 165 |
Showcasing of the cruise vessel shows good capabilities by the filtration system, especially when taking additional port restrictions into account (e.g. particulate emission, water discharge). This solution has its clear benefits for certain of the aforementioned vessels operating in specific areas. Nevertheless, ANDRITZ also offers the entire portfolio of wet scrubber solutions (as open loop, closed loop or hybrid, I-type (inline) or U-type (bypass), round or rectangular) for all other types of vessel.
This showcase is merely an example that illustrates the need to discuss the requirements and special circumstances of the vessel in detail with the shipowner before installing an exhaust gas cleaning system. As ANDRITZ is the only supplier in the world to offer all of the different technologies, SeaSOx is the right choice for every type of vessel.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
Marco Dierico (Area Sales & Proposal Manager): [email protected] / Tel.: +43 676 82 248 2050 or
René Schöberl (Area Sales & Proposal Manager): [email protected] / Tel.: +43 316 501 2895