Japanese shipping entity Ocean Network Express (ONE) has decided to install scrubbers on up to 10 vessels in early 2020, in a bid to comply with 2020 sulphur cap, the company’s CEO was quoted as saying during an event in Singapore this week.
The Japanese company comprises three major carriers, NYK, MOL and K Line, operating a combined fleet of more than 200 container ships.
Speaking at the TOC Asia conference in Singapore, Mr. Jeremy Nixon noted that ONE still prefers the option of alternative fuels to achieve compliance with the 2020 sulphur cap, adding that they are not ‘a great fan of scrubbers’.
This comes in line with a previous announcement by the company that it sees adoption of low-sulphur fuel oil as the most realistic and cost-efficient, but more short-term.
The news comes as scrubber technology is gaining ground among shipping leaders as an option for compliance with stringent environmental regulations.
According to Alphaliner, over 10% of the container ship fleet will have scrubbers installed by end-2020. Geneva-based MSC is leading the move, as it has secured financing of US$439 million to equip its fleet with 86 exhaust gas cleaning systems.
