Lately, most maritime ports have banned the use of open-loop scrubbing systems on ships, leading to a halt in wash water discharge to lower pollutant levels in the aquatic environment. This week Fujairah banned open-loop scrubbers which could be a sign of the following similar restrictions.

There are a lot of studies detecting concerns about the problem of water pollution and acidification that is the result of wash water release from open-loop wet scrubbers. However, numerous studies indicate that wet scrubbing does not harm the marine environment.

Fujairah acts similarly to Singapore which banned the use of open-loop scrubbing systems last November. China, along with various maritime ports, also bans them or states they are contemplating bans.

The reasons for these prohibitions remain unclear. For example, the government of Singapore confirms that their main reason for the ban on open-loop wet scrubbing was “the protection of the marine environment and ensuring that the port waters are clean”. Fujairah, in its turn, has given no reasons for the prohibition. Ireland made this decision because of the potential risks of open-loop wet scrubbers negative impact on the environment.

The topic of managing environmental pollution is addressed globally, which is the reason several major ports have prohibited it despite the lack of evidence regarding the effects of open-loop wet scrubber systems. If a port fails to implement a discharge ban, it becomes evident that wash water from scrubbers poses a threat to the marine ecosystem, and restoring the damage could be challenging or even unfeasible.

Nevertheless, in many European nations, this precautionary principle is incorporated into EU environmental regulations and is mandatory. In this instance, every member state must halt until a scientific foundation on the environmental performance of wet scrubbers has been established, and port states need to reassess their individual water quality standards.

The ban on open-loop scrubbing systems require scientific data approval of the harmful impact and plenty of fair warning before they come into force. Additionally, the implementation of ban measures takes time and incurs significant expenses for current owners of open-loop scrubbers.

Today there are no universally accepted, solid scientific studies to address all those different concerns. It is crucial to keep in mind that there is no perfect solution for the global fleet, as the cleaner burning fuel expenses for open-loop scrubbers are higher.

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Redwood technology is a fast-growing vendor of wet air scrubbers. The multi-vortex scrubber can remove gas emissions, dust, vapors, and other pollutants from a gas stream. It is an innovative technology created to save water that makes it more cost-efficient and differs from other types of scrubbers.  If you have any questions or would like to purchase a multi-vortex wet air scrubber, please contact us at info@rdwd.tech