Sweden has decided to ban the discharge of scrubber water from ships in its waters to protect marine ecosystems.
Scrubbers, which clean ships’ exhaust gases by using seawater, reduce sulphur emissions to the air but release toxic substances into the sea. The ban will take effect in stages: from July 1, 2025, open-loop scrubber discharges will be prohibited, and from January 1, 2029, all scrubber discharges to water will be banned.
This decision aligns with similar measures taken by Finland and Denmark, highlighting a regional effort to address marine pollution. As informed, the Swedish government is also pushing for international regulations to reduce scrubber discharges worldwide.
This is very welcome news, and an important step to protect the marine environment and marine ecosystems along Sweden’s coasts. Scrubber water from ships is a significant and completely unnecessary source of environmentally hazardous substances in the marine environment, and something that all countries should address urgently
… said Maria Granberg, marine ecotoxicologist at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.
