It was reported in Sustainable Shipping today that Ferry Operator DFDS has declared that sea water scrubbers are “Good for the pocket and the environment” and that “experience has proved the technology’s worth”
Viewed alongside recent announcements from operators Brittany Ferries and others it is clear that the scrubbing market is taking off in a very real sense. For this to be the case ship operators have been through an extensive process to Assess the Impact of Legislation, Develop a Business Case, Technology Selection, Negotiation, Project Management and Integration.
To my knowledge no-one has ever sought to understate the challenges of installing large, expensive pieces of equipment in existing vessels, what our experience does show however is that a successful conclusion can be hugely influenced by the project structure.
Installations of sea water scrubbers require a multi-disciplinary approach, the efforts of Naval Architects, Technology Providers, Shipyards and Marine Engineers must be harmonised to ensure that deliverables are met and efforts not duplicated. If the co-ordination/integration function is not properly managed uncertainty can develop and what starts as a positive project can degenerate into a “who’s to blame” culture.
At the end of the day, shipowners do not install scrubbers because it’s an interesting technology, but rather because they seek a compliant solution to a legislative challenge. At Oceanox we seek to focus on delivering compliance through co-ordinating the whole process.