The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set itself the clear target of reducing the sulfur content of ship exhaust gases. Since 2015, for example, limits of 0.1 percent have been in force on the North and Baltic Seas, and the limit will be gradually reduced worldwide by up to 0.5 percent by 2020. Guidelines that cannot be met with unfiltered heavy oil emissions. This was also recognized by the Bremen-based shipping company Carl Büttner, specialized in the operation of oil and chemical tankers. They commissioned SAACKE GmbH to implement an efficient exhaust gas cleaning system on the four-year-old and 140-meter long tanker MT Levana. The SAACKE Scrubber System EGCS-HM convinced not only by its improved environmental balance but also by its distinct economic efficiency - the system has already paid for itself after a few years.
"For all ECA ships, calculate now - then act!
The SAACKE Scrubber is a clean solution".
- Lars Bremer - Managing Director Carl Büttner Shipmanagement GmbH
Significant undercutting of the emission limit values
Therefore the SAACKE Scrubber was a worthwhile alternative to the complex and expensive fuel conversion for the Büttner shipping company. The plant clearly undercuts the required limit values and due to its compact design it was possible to install the sulphur scrubber directly behind the chimney.
The SAACKE Multistream exhaust gas cleaning system can be connected to boiler, auxiliary and main engine. Considering the required capacity and existing infrastructure, the shipping company decided to use the SAACKE 1-tower solution type S with a total capacity of 6 MW. The sulfur components in the exhaust gas are filtered out to 99 percent in the nozzle scrubber by means of water spray mist and water cascade. With the specially developed EGCS monitor, which was installed for the first time at Levana, it is also possible to transmit all relevant plant data on land. The evaluation of the data enables ship operation to be optimized and the associated savings potential to be tapped.
Operators of older ships in particular are facing major challenges with regard to current and future emission regulations. Newbuildings are expensive, fuel conversions are extremely complex. The alternative: the SAACKE Scrubber EGCS-HM. This compact system can be implemented in existing infrastructures, safely falls below the limit values and pays off quickly. The initial system installed on the MT Levana received the DNV GL classification shortly after its commissioning and has been generating effective savings for the customer since the IMO guideline came into force.
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