Hapag Lloyd scrubbers and LNG: Hapag-Lloyd revealed in its semi-annual results that it is preparing two pilot projects as a way to prepare for the IMO maximum sulfur limit for 2020.
The company is testing exhaust gas cleaning technology (scrubbers) on two large container vessels and exploring the benefits of LNG as a fuel.
The announcement comes when the German ocean liner faces the options available to comply with the incoming regulations that are likely to cause numerous headaches and additional costs for transatlantic liners.
As the two projects are still under development, Hapag-Lloyd added that he will not invest much in new ship systems until 2019.
Among the most popular options to comply with the new environmental regulations are the scrubbers, the LNG as marine fuel and the fuel with low sulfur content, which will be much more expensive than the heavy fuel once the regulation comes into force.
The company said earlier that most line companies will have to choose low-sulfur fuels as a way to meet the sulfur limit of 2020.
This is partly due to the restricted supply of scrubbers and the capacity of the shipyards to install them. In addition, many transatlantic companies hesitated to invest in the technology, as new regulations prohibiting the discharge of wash water from open-circuit scrubbers in certain areas are likely to come into force, further complicating the situation for shipowners. .
Furthermore, LNG upgrades have been the preferred option for newbuilds, but the technology is still in its infancy when it comes to applications to large container ships. In addition, LNG modifications require considerable investments, even if there are no restrictions on space on board the vessel.
