The CE Delft study was commissioned by Alfa Laval and two other major suppliers of exhaust gas cleaning systems. It evaluates CO2 emissions on a well-to-wake basis, using HFO operation without a scrubber as a reference for comparison. In other words, it accounts for the total CO2 impact of each compliance option, not only on board but also during fuel refining. The results of the study indicate that the carbon footprint of SOx scrubbers is significantly smaller than that of compliant fuels.
“It’s important for customers to have a complete picture of their compliance options, and it matters for Alfa Laval as a supplier of equipment supporting all fuel choices,” says Rene Diks, Head of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems. “From a carbon perspective, the study shows the impact of a scrubber like Alfa Laval PureSOx is likely many times less than that of low-sulphur fuels.”
According to the CE Delft study, the use of a SOx scrubber increases carbon output by 1.5% to 3%. This is due to the fuel oil burned by the engine in order to power the exhaust gas cleaning system, as well as the CO2 released in manufacturing the scrubber itself.
The refining of compliant low-sulphur fuel, on the other hand, may put many times more CO2 into the atmosphere. Refining emits CO2 not only through energy consumption, but also because it uses hydrogen that is generally produced from methane, releasing CO2 in the process. The exact CO2 increase depends on the level of desulphurization and the quality of fuel produced, but the study places it somewhere between 1% and 25%.
“Both extremes for refining compliant fuel are theoretical,” says Diks. “Removing the bare minimum of sulphur to meet regulations would increase CO2 by 1%, but doing so is not technically feasible. Refining all fuel products down to a sulphur-compliant level would mean an increase closer to 25%, but most of those products would be too pure for marine use. The reality is somewhere between, but it is clearly far higher than the 1.5% to 3% associated with a SOx scrubber.”
Jasper Faber, Project Manager at CE Delft, confirms, “This study provides a comprehensive overview of the climate impacts of different options to reduce sulphur emissions. It shows that in many cases, the carbon footprint of using a scrubber is lower than low-sulphur fuels.”
CO2 emissions associated with the production of low-sulphur marine fuels will be between these extreme values. Source: CE Delft
Download the full study from CE Delft here.
To learn more about Alfa Laval PureSOx and Alfa Laval’s approach to exhaust gas cleaning, please visit: www.alfalaval.com/puresox
This is Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval is active in the areas of Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, offering its expertise, products, and service to a wide range of industries in some 100 countries. The company is committed to optimizing processes, creating responsible growth, and driving progress – always going the extra mile to support customers in achieving their business goals and sustainability targets.
Alfa Laval’s innovative technologies are dedicated to purifying, refining, and reusing materials, promoting more responsible use of natural resources. They contribute to improved energy efficiency and heat recovery, better water treatment, and reduced emissions. Thereby, Alfa Laval is not only accelerating success for its customers, but also for people and the planet. Making the world better, every day. It’s all about Advancing better™.
Alfa Laval has 17,500 employees. Annual sales in 2019 were SEK 46.5 billion (approx. EUR 4.4 billion). The company is listed on Nasdaq OMX.
