Wärtsilä says scrubbers could store CO2 emissions

Finnish marine tech company says scrubber technology is mature enough to use for more than only trapping sulphur emissions.

News ID: 80538

Date: 17 March 2021 - 10:29

Wärtsilä says scrubbers could one day be used to capture CO2 emissions from ship exhausts because of technological advances.

FINNISH marine technology company Wärtsilä says scrubbers could be used to store carbon dioxide emissions from ship exhausts.

The company makes scrubbers and said findings from its early research suggested carbon capture and storage from ships was “technically viable for the sector to pursue”.

It is installing a one-megawatt pilot plant at a testing facility in Norway to test carbon capture and storage technologies in different conditions.

Scrubbers are installed on ships to remove sulphur and nitrogen oxides from exhaust gases.

Wärtsilä exhaust treatment director Sigurd Jenssen said scrubber technologies were mature enough for companies to explore using them for more than only compliance with sulphur emissions limits.

“Building on the success of existing and well-proven technologies such as scrubbers will be vital to succeeding on the industry’s decarbonisation goals,” he said.

He said carbon capture and storage on vessels was a “substantial undertaking” but could provide significant CO2 cuts in a relatively short time.

The technology would be among several solutions needed to decarbonise the shipping industry, including alternative fuels and efficiency technologies.

In January Wärtsilä said the pandemic had dented its sales in 2020 and it hoped vaccine rollouts would improve demand.