Wärtsilä to upgrade scrubbers on four Color Line ships

Wärtsilä will upgrade the exhaust treatment system onboard four vessels in Norwegian operator Color Line’s fleet. [Image: © Color Line]

With pressure growing for bans on the discharge of exhaust gas scrubber wash water, Norway’s Color Line has placed an order that will see Wärtsilä add close-looped functionality to the current open-loop scrubbers on four of its vessels. The scrubber upgrade will be carried out on two large Color Line Ro-Pax and two high-speed Ro-Pax vessels, which sail between Norway and Denmark, and Norway and Germany, and will commence at the latter end of 2024.

Denmark announced this year that, from July 1, 2025, the discharge of exhaust gas scrubber water from ships will be prohibited in waters up to 22 kilometers (about 12 nautical miles) off the Danish coast.

Wärtsilä says that the upgrade to a hybrid scrubber system onboard the four ships will give Color Line control over any abatement from the scrubber wash water, ensuring its vessels remain compliant with tightening regulations.

“This scrubber upgrade supports our focus on minimizing the environmental impact of our operations. Switching to Wärtsilä’s system will not only ensure our continued compliance with existing rules and regulations, but will also future-proof our vessels against future requirements,” says Per Erik Olsen, EVP Color Line Marine.

Wärtsilä says that its hybrid scrubber systems feature the latest in exhaust cleaning technology, thus minimizing sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions and allowing the vessel to comply with emission control regulations around the world. The solution, which has the flexibility to operate in both open and closed loop using seawater to remove SOx from the exhaust, removes 98% of SOx emissions. This also notably reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter emissions.

“Through adopting a modular approach, continuous research and development, as well as prioritizing innovation, we are fully committed to developing abatement solutions which support the industry in its goals for reducing its emissions footprint,” comments Kashif Javaid, director of sales, exhaust treatment, Wärtsilä Marine. “We have worked closely with Color Line in the past and are pleased to continue to support them with ensuring their assets operate safely, efficiently and sustainably.”