Two important alliances for abatement technology
The unit at the core of the CSNOx system
Ecospec of Singapore has announced two significant ventures in the development of its CSNOx exhaust emissions abatement technology.
Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) has signed a letter of intent with Ecospec Marine Technology wherein both parties will work together to develop and install CSNOx technology within the CSL fleet, thus bringing the ecological technology to the Great Lakes and searching for improvements to the marine industry’s environmental footprint.
CSL and ECOSPEC plan to install the CSNOx system on one of CSL’s Great Lakes vessels later this year in order to validate and obtain certification of the performance and efficiency of the system in a fresh water environment, making the CSL installation the first CSNOx freshwater environment project.
CSL and ECOSPEC are both optimistic that this system could provide the environmental emission reduction breakthrough that the marine industry has been searching for, and believe it could set a new standard in emission reductions.
The other major operator signing up for the technology is cruise company Royal Caribbean Cruises. The company has a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint by one third per available passenger cruise day by 2015. RCCL is partnering with Ecospec to install a pilot CSNOx system on its Independence of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean is the first cruise operator to initiate a feasibility study with Ecospec to explore the potential for installation of CSNOx systems on a cruise ship.
“Every day, we are actively researching methodologies and technologies that will reduce our emissions of not only SOx and NOx, but also CO2 as part of our comprehensive strategy to reduce our environmental impact,” said Jamie Sweeting, global chief environmental officer and vice president of environmental stewardship for RCCL. “Our guiding principle of above and beyond compliance, which is ingrained in our operating philosophy, challenges us to rise above what is required by law. We are optimistic that the CSNOx system will help us to meet our goal.”
Ecospec says that CSNOx is the first commercially viable solution which can effectively reduce harmful pollutants like SO2, NOx and CO2 from emissions of large ocean trading vessels, all three gases are removed in one process and in a single system, without using harmful chemicals.
CSNOx is believed to be the only marine exhaust gas abatement process that is capable of offsetting and net reduction in CO2 emission trails. This sets it apart from existing conventional scrubbers that tend to increase CO2 emissions due to chemical reactions in the scrubbing process, or because they do not have a capability to offset CO2 emissions by the additional energy used.
CSNOx technology was installed and tested on White Sea, a Tanker Pacific vessel in 2009. The results of this test, published by Ecospec in February 2010, recorded a claimed 99% reduction of SOx, 66% reduction of NOx, and a 77% reduction of CO2. Additionally, wash water test results surpassed the IMO exhaust gas cleaning discharge criteria.
The Royal Caribbean pilot test is expected to be complete by the spring of 2011.
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