From Tradewinds:

“Japan tells IMO scrubbers are safe”

Government officials put the case for exhaust gas cleaning systems.

February 19th, 2019 07:39 GMT

by Adam Corbett

Japan has presented data to the IMO indicating open loop scrubbers can be used safely without damaging the marine environment.

The findings are being contributed toward the IMO’s programme to revise the guidelines for the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems ahead of IMO 2020.

It also comes as an increasing number of jurisdictions ban the use of scrubbers based on environmental concerns.

In a presentation to the IMO Japan said it believed “prohibition of the use of open-looped scrubbers cannot be justified scientifically when the IMO’s criteria is met.”

It originally undertook the study to allay the concerns of the Japanese fishing industry over the use of scrubbers.

Japan’s study looked at simulating both the long term and short term impacts using the same methodology used to test ballast water treatment systems.

The study covered the whole scope of potential pollutants including pH, nitrates, nitrites, phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). It also focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which have been cited as the main environmental concern associated with open loop scrubbers

Japan looked at a worst possible scenario including a 10 year concentrated use of open loop scrubbers in partially enclosed sea areas including Tokyo Bay, the Inland Sea and the Ise Sea area.

It found that sulphur levels in sea water would be “dissolved”.

“It is highly unlikely that SOx deposited and dissolved into the marine water may cause unacceptable effects,” Japan’s report said.

It also found that PAHs following discharge rise “only slightly above their detection limits.”

And it said heavy metals in scrubber discharge water are “substantially” less than the emission standard from land based sources in Japan.

However, as TradeWinds earlier reported, Japan’s findings come in sharp contrast to a report from the German Environment Agency submitted to the IMO expressing concerns that discharge water presented a “direct pollution source” to the marine environment.