As Wärtsilä informed, in the marine industry, the 2020 sulphur regulations have led to an increase in demand for scrubbers, thus increasing orders intake in both Marine Solutions and Services.
Regarding Marine Solutions, its orders were also supported by the high level of activity in the cruise and ferry segment. In the energy markets, postponed investment decisions for certain projects have negatively affected Energy Solutions' order intake.
Nonetheless, a healthy project pipeline could provide confidence in improved activity going forward, Wärtsilä noted.
Speaking about the space and power requirements that scrubbers need onboard a ship, Dr. Martin Koller, Product Manager, Air Pollution Control, ANDRITZ told SAFETY4SEA that operators should make internal work to evaluate if they have every possible space available or the power available.
For this reason, It would be better to make the work together with an experienced scrubber supplier who should know what are the barriers and the problems.
In addition, Nicholas Confuorto, President & CEO, CR Ocean Engineering, argues that scrubbers are the best option for compliance with 2020 regulations. Mr. Confuorto mentions that by 2020 there could probably be about 3,000 - 4,000 scrubbers installed if they continue at the pace they do this year.
That will be the pace I think will continue until 2025 which will change the whole schematic of the shipping industry, in that so many companies using scrubbers will force others to also use scrubbers because of the competition.
