Netherlands to award €250,000 for mobile ship degassing trials

The Dutch Government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, has made €250,000 (US$296,000) available for trials with mobile degassing systems for use on commercial tankers.

After unloading their liquid cargo and prior to taking on new cargo, a tanker needs to be able to remove the remaining vapours from its hold in an environmentally responsible manner. At present, this procedure, known as degassing, is often done while the ship is still in transit.

However, in the near future, the Netherlands will no longer allow ships to remove vapours from their holds while in transit due to the risks it poses to the environment and to the health of crews and residents in nearby areas.

Infrastructure and water management minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen said the trials will help the country identify safe and environmentally responsible alternatives to conventional degassing equipment for ships.