Andritz working on 3-in-1 scrubber solution

Scrubber manufacturer Andritz has signed a contract with a French ferry operator to test an integrated NOx removal method on the basis of catalytic filter bags and urea injection on one of its vessels.

This system would enable La Méridionale to have a single, fully integrated exhaust gas cleaning system for removal of SOx, particulate matter and also NOx, – a combination that would currently require three separate systems to be installed onboard any vessel, the company said.

Even though the boundary conditions for this installation are very challenging and will push the technology to its limits, the Andritz engineers are confident that this promising development project will yield a highly satisfying result, the company said. Aside from this maritime application, the potential use of catalytic filter bags can also be a very attractive alternative for land-based plants, the company said.

Scrubber manufacturer Andritz has received an order from French ferry operator La Méridionale for the full retrofit of a SeaSOx filtration system on the ro-ro ferry Piana.

A pilot system was first installed in 2019 on the Piana, treating exhaust from one of its four main engines.

Full retrofit of the vessel with a Dual SeaSOxfiltration system includes cleaning of the exhaust from three additional main and two auxiliary engines, covering a total propulsion load of more than 40 MW. This project represents a new milestone in terms of exhaust gas cleaning without requiring any wash water, the company said.

Along with removal of SOx and particulates of all sizes (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), the system requires just 1/10 of the power consumption when compared to a closed-loop scrubber system, it works without water recirculation and discharge, the company said.

The Andritz SeaSOx filtration technology is based on the injection of sodium-based sorbent for SOx absorption. It then uses a baghouse filter installed downstream of the injection point to remove particulate matter and sodium sulphate.

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A first contract was successfully completed in March 2019 and included the cleaning of exhaust gases from one main engine and one auxiliary engine. After the commissioning of the first stage in June 2019, Andritz received the IAPP certificate from the French Flag administration, which attests that all statutory requirements for this installation have been fulfilled. Additionally, classification society DNV issued the MED-G certificate, confirming that the safety and environmental compliance requirements have been satisfied. The new filtration system will be installed in November 2021, with expected sea trials in February 2022. Piana operates in the Mediterranean between Marseille and Corsica.