A Novel Approach to Reduce the Environmental Footprint of Maritime Shipping

Abstract

Maritime shipping is a strategic sector with a strong international vocation and management. The need to define regulations valid for many different countries without generating disparities of treatment slowed down the formulation of environmental regulations, especially for atmospheric emissions. In particular, regulations pertaining to the reduction of sulphur compounds allowed two distinct approaches: the use of low-sulphur fuels or exhaust gas cleaning systems, the so-called Scrubbers. The actual implementation of these solutions presents specific concerns either related to the toxicity of atmospheric by-products and to the fuel cost or to the generation of polluting washwaters that may need treatment before discharge. In this paper we analyzed the potential environmental benefit deriving from the use of a distillate fuel, not compliant with current IMO Sulphur Regulations, together with a Scrubber. The pilot-scale experimental results indicated that a limited amount of water and/or scrubber volume is needed to reduce sulphur emissions below regulations on maritime shipping, especially with the addition of NaOH reaching a water-saving between 25%-33% compared to the use of pure seawater. Experiments indicated that scrubber washwater PAHs emissions are within the available water quality standards indicated by EU and USA guidelines. A bottom-up analysis on heavy metals concentration shed light on the prominent role of metal-parts corrosion on the washwater emissions. Taking into account for corrosion phenomena, the actual heavy metals concentration in the washwater deriving from scrubbing was normally below the water quality standards.

Influence of Y Doping on Catalytic Activity of CeO2, MnOx, and CeMnOx Catalysts for Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO by NH3

“…Nitrogen oxides (NO x ), which include NO 2 and NO, are highly detrimental to human health and the environment. These emissions, commonly released by road vehicles, maritime transport, and industrial activities, contribute to a range of problems such as acid rain, photochemical smog, and ozone depletion [1][2][3]. Additionally, they can cause respiratory diseases in humans.…”

“…Additionally, they can cause respiratory diseases in humans. To address these issues, governments have implemented stringent regulatory acts aimed at reducing atmospheric emissions [1][2][3]. In pursuit of this goal, numerous technologies, including electron beam processes [4], low-temperature adsorption [5], wet oxidative scrubbing (WOS) [6], NO x storage-reduction (NSR) [1], and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) [1,7], are under investigation.…”

Optimization of Fleet Scrubber Installation and Utilization Considering Sulfur Emission Control Areas and Marine Fuel Switching

“…Of all the emission control methods mentioned above, scrubbers are extensively applied due to their mature technology and relatively convenient installation [29]. Scrubbers can help remove sulfur oxides and particulate matter from gases, allowing ships to use high-sulfur fuels while complying with sulfur emission regulations [30]. Although the initial installation costs may be high, the ongoing maintenance costs of scrubber systems are generally lower than those associated with alternative compliance options.…”

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation Approach for Scrubber Wash Water pH Modelling

“…Based on the real global concern about environmental issues, determined by the exhaust gas emissions and their impact, there is a huge interest in developing technical solutions for reducing the level of pollution [4][5][6][7].…”