Scrubber retrofits pay off for Safe Bulkers

Dr Loukas Barmparis, president of Safe Bulkers. “We are protecting our margins in a time of uncertainty while simultaneously protecting the environment.”

In recent years, NYSE-listed Safe Bulkers Inc. has retrofitted Alfa Laval PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems on 20 of its bulk carriers. It recently installed its 21st PureSOx scrubber, and four more retrofits are scheduled through the first half of 2023. All will be protected with a comprehensive Alfa Laval Service Agreement.

The most recent retrofit was of an open-loop PureSOx system on the MV Pelopidas. Safe Bulkers will retrofit equivalent systems on four Capesize bulk carriers: MV Aghia Sofia, MV Lake Despina, MV Maria and MV Michalis H.

“When we first made the choice to retrofit Alfa Laval PureSOx systems in 2018, we were convinced that it was a good investment,” says Dr Loukas Barmparis, President of Safe Bulkers. “Today’s increased price difference between low-sulfur and high-sulfur fuel shows that we were correct. We are protecting our margins in a time of uncertainty while simultaneously protecting the environment. Through comprehensive sampling of effluent wash water from open-loop scrubber systems, independent laboratories using EPA or ISO methods have shown that there is little or no impact from the wash water concentrations.”

Alfa Laval’s deliveries for the vessels, which are each roughly 180,000 DWT in capacity, will extend from November 2022 to April 2023.

Safe Bulkers’ previous PureSOx retrofit projects have all gone smoothly, and the systems themselves have lived up to the promised high performance.

“Retrofitting large equipment like a scrubber will always involve challenges,” says Barmparis. “What makes the difference is the supplier’s commitment to finding a solution. Having already done 21 retrofits with Alfa Laval, we can say with confidence that the cooperation works – just like the PureSOx technology. Both the support and the results are consistently excellent.”

Safe Bulkers has an Alfa Laval Service Agreement in place for its PureSOx systems. Covering spare parts packages, sensor exchanges, connectivity and more, the agreement will now be expanded to cover the additional vessels.

“We take no chances with our compliance at Safe Bulkers,” Barmparis says. “Service is an important safeguard, and we know that we can rely on Alfa Laval’s expertise. The support we receive means that we can always be certain of fulfilling our obligations.”