Denmark Implements Ban On Open-Loop Scrubber Discharge, Starting 2025

The Danish government has reportedly joined the growing list of nations taking measures against open-loop scrubbers after hitting a broad political deal to prohibit the discharge of wash water via scrubbers into the waters beginning in 2025.

The ban on vessels with open-loop scrubbers up to 22 km from Denmark’s coasts will take effect on 1 July 2025.

The scrubbers became widespread after more stringent sulphur regulations were introduced in the North and Baltic Sea waters in 2015, particularly after worldwide sulphur regulations were back into force in 2020.

The shipping majors could comply with the new rules by cleaning up the sulphur smoke using a scrubber or switching to fuel with lower sulphur content.

The Danish Environment Ministry declared that the use of open-loop scrubbers has resulted in excessive levels of heavy metals and tar substances in the broader marine environment and that the deal to prohibit these actions in Danish waters might reduce the release of nickel into the sea by up to 20% and anthracene by up to 7%.

The deal is another crucial step to a promising marine environment.

Scrubber water ejects problematic substances that accumulate on the seabed, get absorbed into the oceans’ food chains, and end up in the fish we consume.

The discharge of ecologically hazardous items comes from different sources, but scrubber water is a source regarding which there is a lot of data and knowledge.

Hence, it is a happy moment that now the end to pollution with scrubber water in Denmark’s territorial waters is approaching, mentioned Magnus Heunicke, the environment minister.

Vessels will be needed to use either closed-loop scrubbers or low-sulphur fuel.

The ban on closed-loop scrubber discharges is expected to come into force in July 2029.

The pact also states that Denmark would work on placing a similar ban in the Baltic and North Seas through regional maritime conventions.

Nina Porst, the director of climate, environment, and safety at Danish Shipping, said that they were pleased that politicians have chosen to listen to the request to introduce a phase-in term so that the shipping firms that have invested a significant amount of money in complying with the rules and lessening sulfur emissions with a scrubber have adequate time to adapt to a new reality.

Other nations, including China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other European ports and regions, have banned open-loop scrubber use.

Reference: Splash 247

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