European shipowners have asked EU Member States to adopt a clear, long-term, and harmonised position on the issue of the discharges of washwater produced by open-loop scrubbers installed on ships.
Scrubbers are devices that use water to wash unwanted substances from an exhaust gas stream. They have been identified as one of the few abatement technologies available that allow ships to reduce the sulphur content in their emissions in the face of incoming new emissions regulations from the IMO.
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a source of concern for European shipowners as it sets limits for the content of pollutants in ports, estuaries and coastal areas, said a position paper published by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA).
"This in turn means that the discharges of washwater will in some areas be well under the limits set by the WFD, while in other areas with poorer water quality, washwater discharges might be prohibited by Member State legislation," said the ECSA.
"The resulting lack of harmonisation and clarity will without a doubt hamper the uptake of scrubber technology."
"The current uncertainty jeopardises investments already made by shipowners eager to meet the compliance criteria before the fast-approaching deadline of 1 January 2015, but more importantly hinders the commissioning of future scrubber installations," said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven.