Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) has confirmed it has installed and integrated onboard one of its Great Lake carriers Ecospec’s novel CSNOx system, an emissions abatement system that can remove NOx, SOx and CO2 in one process.
The first application of the system, first reported in the November 2012 edition of Shipping World & Shipbuilder, was installed onboard CSL’s 22 000dwt self-unloading bulk carrier Spruceglen. A series of ship trials have been carried out to verify the system which can operate in both closed loop and freshwater conditions. These tests were aimed primarily at optimising the efficiency of the sulphur oxide (SOx) reductions.
The system has now been running for hundreds of operating hours in an economy mode with confirmed reductions of SOx.
The system is also capable of reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) concurrently. Formal performance measurements of these two gases will be carried out during phase II tests to be done later this year, once the SOx removal process has been optimized.
It is expected that the operating SOx only mode will cater in a cost efficient manner to the current market conditions and surpass the present International Maritime Organisation (IMO) emission requirements. The CSNOx system in freshwater closed loop solves the logistics problems associated with chemical handling.
CSL has always supported research and promoted the development and application of green technologies. In the course of doing so, it has deployed a large amount of resources. During the traditional winter lay-up, further system advancement and optimisation will be carried out.
Singapore-based Ecoepec, in which Sembawang Shipyard has a 20% stake, has now developed different versions of the technology: cSOx for CO2 and SOx reduction, and cNOx for CO2 and NOx removal.
[mappress] Press Release, January 18, 2013