EGR development moves forward

Alfa Laval PureNOX

JUNE 25, 2015 — For some vessels, EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) may prove a more attractive option for NOx reduction than selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology.

As EGR development continues, Alfa Laval has become the first company to be approved by MAN Diesel & Turbo to supply a water treatment system, PureNOx, for MAN’s EGR system for its two-stroke marine engines. The approval comes with less than a year to go before the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III NOx standards take effect on January 1, 2016. Both EGR and SCR are compliant with the IMO NOx Technical Code.

In 2012, Alfa Laval signed a cooperation agreement with MAN to develop the water treatment system for cleaning scrubber water in the EGR system. PureNOx  prevents soot and compounds derived from the exhaust gas from accumulating in the EGR scrubber and corroding the engine and enables the bleed-off of clean water overboard in compliance with IMO criteria.

“From the start, we have worked closely with MAN to develop and refine the water treatment system,” says Kristina Effler, Global Business Manager, Water Treatment Exhaust Gas Emissions. “Receiving the MAN Certificate of Approval for PureNOx is proof positive that close cooperation really pays off.”

Modular in design, PureNOx is compact and easy to install so it can be positioned anywhere in the engine room; the EGR system itself is integrated with the engine. This simplifies ship design and reduces installation time and costs.

MAN is now moving quickly towards EGR system commercialization. Alfa Laval is keeping pace, introducing the next-generation PureNOx Prime water treatment system, which minimizes the amount of sludge for onshore disposal.
“

By year end, we will launch the PureNOx Prime, which is smaller and less complex than the original, but also far less expensive,” says Ms. Effler.

EGR and Alfa Laval PureNOx integrated on the engine