It’s now time for scrubbers!! Says a shipandbunker article as there seem to be an increasing interest in showing them up as the preferred option among ship owners.
Scrubber – The new stardom
Having earlier this year listed three things preventing a “mature long-term decision” being made on choosing scrubbers as a compliance solution for IMO 2020, in April, Chief Operating Officer Cameron Mackey said people are struggling to understand the viability of the technology.
But in comments made this week during the firm’s latest earnings call, Mackey conceded that the technology is now starting to make sense.
Resonating voices on scrubber
Scrubbers are finally getting the recognition they deserve – a sentiment perhaps most succinctly summed up last week in a comment posted on LinkedIn by Quadrise Fuels’ Martin Verle, General Manager, Marine: “The tide has well and truly turned in favour of scrubbers at long last!”
Indeed, even vocal scrubber skeptics such as Scorpio Bulkers now seem to be warming to the idea of using the technology.
HFSO – demand post 2020
Mackey’s concern over availability is, of course, well founded. While there is little doubt post 2020 HSFO supply will continue in the major ports, at least initially, Olivier Jouny, Managing Director of Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions(TMFGS) told Ship & Bunker back in January that its availability will not necessarily continue in all ports.
NSI’s Paul Hardy also raised the point last year, arguing that barging would make or break the case for scrubbers.
Scrubbers – Yet uncertain
“We continue to look at them but we haven’t yet gotten to the point where we feel that’s a good use of capital for Scorpio Bulkers. That has to do both with the technology and technological risks, regulatory risks, and most importantly for smaller vessel sizes the availability of HFO in, call them secondary or tertiary bunkering ports post 2020.”
So will there be a day Scorpio Bulkers invests in scrubbers?
“There may be a point where it becomes compelling but it isn’t to us today,” said Mackey.
“But as and when we get closer to 2020 we’ll see how the facts on the ground change.”
The “IMO 2020” global 0.50% sulfur cap on marine fuel comes into force from January 1, 2020.
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Source: Ship & Bunker
