Finnish marine tech group Wärtsilä (Nasdaq Helsinki: WRT1V) has received its first order for carbon capture and storage (CCS)-ready scrubber systems, to be delivered in 2023. The order, placed by an unnamed ship owner, was booked in November 2022, the company said on its website.
The deal covers Wärtsilä’s CCS-ready 35MW scrubber that comes in an open loop configuration, to be fitted on four 8,200-TEU container ships. The vessels are currently under construction at a yard in Asia, which also remained undisclosed.
Tests are currently being carried out with Wärtsilä’s CCS system at a 70% capture rate, with a projected pilot installation within the next year.
“By investing in a CCS-ready scrubber, ship owners will futureproof their assets and enable a smooth transition to CCS adoption once the technology is mature in the very near future,” Scott Oh, Director at the Exhaust Treatment Asia unit of the Finnish company, commented.
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The technology is referred to as CCS-ready thanks to additional design and engineering work performed by Wärtsilä that will allow for the future installation of a full CCS system on the ships by ensuring there is adequate space, the Finnish company explained.
Additionally, considerations for minimizing idle load and optimizing utilities will be incorporated, and the control and automation system will be prepared accordingly. The scrubbers will also be designed to enable integration with a Particulate Matter filter.
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Thats an amazing idea that should be further implemented amongst the entire industry, container vessels use such a large amount of HFO that any and all clean energy technology would benefit the overall effort to mitigate pollution in the industry.