Although the shipping industry is influential, considering that it is cheap and can transport large volumes of goods, it significantly contributes to world pollution. The marine environmental impact is significant; therefore, solutions are required immediately. See the video below to grasp how much one single large cruise ship pollutes.
Advanced membrane technology is one of the answers to how to decarbonize the world’s shipping industry. This unique and innovative technology has brought about several pioneering filtration applications for a more sustainable future in accordance with the UN SDGs. Membranes can filter polluted scrubber wash water and purify seawater to the extent that it is turned into drinking water. Therefore, membranes protect our environment from pollution and enable us to preserve our scarce water resources. Learn more about how ceramic membranes work.
For the sipping industry, two innovative solutions seem apparent to adopt.
With the IMO 202 sulfur cap, implementing closed-loop scrubbers has become even more crucial to obtain a compliant operation. Learn more about the IMO 2020 here. Closed-loop scrubbers ensure compliance with the current and future environmental regulations by removing harmful sulfur oxides (SOx). This is for the benefit of the environment, wildlife, and human health. Besides compliance, this solution is highly competitive. This solution is an investment, delivering significant returns in fuel cost savings. With a closed-loop scrubber, you can continue to operate on HFO, which is often much cheaper than low-sulfur fuel. Thus, you are secured a low OPEX. You can follow the current fuel price spread here. The typical return on investment is within 1-3 years, bringing a favorable financial outlook for closed-loop scrubbers.
With the world facing water scarcity, it seems apparent to protect the world’s scarce freshwater resources. This is enabled by seawater reverse osmosis, which can purify seawater into drinking water using RO membranes. This solution provides an unlimited amount of freshwater and removes concerns about being shore-bound due to low freshwater levels onboard a vessel. And with no large freshwater tanks, weight and space can be saved, leading to energy efficiency.
Besides green tech solutions, more and more environmental restrictions are also implemented to sustain our earth. Regulations are both seen locally, regionally, and globally. And although local and regional efforts are a great start, it is not sufficient to comply with the UN SDGs before 2030. These need to be global to ensure an international effort, as seen with the IMO 2020 sulfur cap. Moreover, it is also expected the IMO will sanction new work plans. These work plans align with the international regulations and bans for scrubber wash water discharge internationally. Here, they can decide when, where, or if scrubber wash water discharged should be sanctioned.
Moreover, the consumers are conscious, now more than ever, and demand higher transparency and more sustainable initiatives from the companies. Therefore, there is a growing demand for sustainable solutions, such as decarbonized supply chains.
All these global restrictions and growing sustainable customer demands combined with innovative green tech solutions are the levers for endless opportunities for the sustainable shipping industry.
