Finnish technology company Wärtsilä has secured its first order for carbon capture and storage (CCS)-ready scrubber systems. The company will fit four 8,200 TEU container vessels being built at an undisclosed Asian yard with Wärtsilä's CCS-Ready 35MW scrubber in an open-loop configuration. The scrubbers are CCS-Ready because Wärtsilä will perform additional design and engineering work to ensure that future retrofits for a full CCS system on the vessels have already been accounted for during the new building construction stage.
The company will take measures to ensure adequate space for future CCS system installation, incorporate considerations for minimising idle load and optimising utilities, and prepare the control and automation system accordingly. CCS-Ready scrubbers will also be designed for integration with a particulate matter filter. Wärtsilä's exhaust treatment unit is currently testing its CCS system at a 70% capture rate and a pilot installation will take place within the next twelve months.
Scott Oh, Director at Wärtsilä's Exhaust Treatment Asia, said, "By investing in a CCS-Ready scrubber, ship owners will future-proof their assets and enable a smooth transition to CCS adoption once the technology is mature in the very near future. CCS is one of the key solutions to enable maritime decarbonisation in a short timeframe, and we look forward to progressing our technology further."
The company's new IQ Series exhaust gas treatment system, designed by its Exhaust Treatment business unit in Moss, Norway, takes up 25% less space, is 30% lighter, and has 35% less volume, which minimizes the impact on a vessel's cargo-carrying capacity. Wärtsilä's commitment to innovation in the maritime industry has made it a leader in developing technologies for decarbonization, and the company is helping to pave the way for a more sustainable future for the shipping industry.
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