DFDS to install scrubbers on 12 Mediterranean freight ferries

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 — Danish shipping group DFDS will next year invest DKK 300 million (about $47 million) to install scrubbers on 12 freight ferries deployed on routes in the Mediterranean between Turkey, Italy, Greece and France.

Back in April, DFDS agreed to acquire Turkey’s largest RO/RO freight operator, U.N. Ro-Ro (see earlier story) and its fleet of 12 large RO/RO vessels, which are presumably the vessels getting the scrubbers.

The investment will ensure compliance with the 2020 IMO sulfur cap and DFDS says its investment decision is based on the scrubber strategy that was applied in 2015 for the transition to the 0.1% sulfur content limit for DFDS’ ferry route network in northern Europe.

“We are happy to already now start preparing for complying with the new limit on sulfur content in emissions in the Mediterranean” said Niels Smedegaard, CEO of DFDS. “This will bring environmental benefits for all. By applying DFDS’ extensive experience of procuring, installing and operating scrubber systems we are achieving both operational and financial synergies.”

DFDS has selected hybrid scrubbers as the optimal solution for the fleet in the Mediterranean.

The 12 scrubbers will be supplied by ME Production, a Danish developer and manufacturer of customized emission reduction systems for marine applications with whom DFDS has cooperated previously.