Yara Marine Technologies has successfully delivered a combined SOx and NOx abatement installation for two of Hyundai Heavy Industries LPG carriers, Yara Kara and Yara Nauma.
The two ships built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea have both been equipped with SOx scrubbers and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems in order to effectively clean both Sulphur and Nitrogen Oxides according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 0,1% ECA requirements. Although both abatement technologies have existed for some years, it is still the very first time both technologies have been proven to successfully work at the same time on a marine vessel in operation.
The engine specifications on both vessels include 3 diesel generator engines (1.32MW*900rpm each) and a Main Engine (ME) 7.62(MW*115rpm) that are connected to one, single inline scrubber. The scrubber system on both vessels have received IAPP and MEG G certificate certificates from DNV-GL hence meeting the MEPC 259 (68) requirements, guarantying a reduction in Sulphur Oxide in the exhaust gas from 3.5% to 0.1%.
The vessels have also been equipped with SCR systems to effectively reduce Nitrogen Oxide from the exhaust and are certified to meet IMO NOx TierIII regulation requirements.
Yara is the first company to successfully run a dual SOx and NOx cleaning operation on an operating ship and according to Chief Marketing Officer, Mr Kai Latun, this is a major technological accomplishment that stems from many years of solid R & D work together with Yara’s unique approach to pioneering the field of abatement technology.
“Yara Kara and Yara Nauma are testaments to Yara’s unique position in the marine exhaust gas cleaning market as a complete abatement specialist, demonstrating on these operating ships their capabilities to also successfully run a dual SOx and NOx cleaning operation as the first company in the world, Mr Latun explains.
Mr Latun admits there were technical challenges that had to be overcome before successful commissioning, and the most demanding issue was to combat the exhaust gas composition and density changes that running the two abatement systems in parallel initially resulted in.
“ As with all new technological developments, you are doomed to have an equal amount of challenges, but all issues where quickly resolved during the commissioning of the first vessel and all systems are working perfectly together”, Mr Latun concludes.
Later in the autumn a third sister vessel will also be completed with the same technical specifications.