EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MARINE ENGINE SCRUBBERS

IN REDUCING SOx EMISSION

This Undergraduate Thesis is Presented to the Faculty of the

College of Marine Studies

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering

By
Delos Reyes, John Ryan
Maranan, Jaymar
Sta. Ana, Christian Joseph

July,2023
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Ships are a major source of sulfur emissions, as they burn high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) to

power their engines (Yang et al. 2022). The combustion of this fuel produces sulfur

dioxide (SO2), a harmful air pollutant that can cause respiratory problems, such as

asthma and bronchitis, and contribute to acid rain.

To address the negative impacts of SOx emissions from ships, the International

Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented regulations to limit the sulfur content of

marine fuels. Since 2020, the IMO has required ships to use low-sulfur fuels (with a

maximum sulfur content of 0.5%) or install sulfur scrubbers to reduce emissions

(Marina, 2020). These measures have already led to significant reductions in SOx

emissions from the maritime industry. Marine engine scrubbers, also known as exhaust

gas cleaning systems, are one way for ships to comply with the International Maritime

Organization's (IMO) regulations on reducing SOx emissions from ships. These

scrubbers work by removing sulfur oxides and other pollutants from the exhaust gases

before they are released into the atmosphere (Vasilescu et al. 2021). They can be

installed on ships that continue to use high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) by cleaning the

emissions before they are discharged. By doing so, the use of scrubbers enables ships

to comply with the IMO's sulfur cap regulations. While scrubbers can effectively reduce

SOx emissions from ships, they do produce waste material that contains sulfur and

other pollutants. This waste material must be collected and disposed of properly to

prevent it from polluting the marine environment (Anish, 2021)

Marine engine scrubbers are one solution for ships to comply with regulations on SOx

emissions, but their use must be accompanied by proper waste management and

compliance with environmental regulations.