- Oman has become the latest country to ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its territorial waters.
- Wash water from scrubbers are not allowed to be discharged in Oman’s waters unless an approved private facility is used.
Oman has banned the use of open-loop scrubbers within its territorial waters, reports the Standard Club.
A note from Inchcape Shipping Services relayed via Standard Club warned that there was no known limit for pollution fines due to the discharge of scrubber washwater in Oman waters.
Ships discharging scrubber wastewater may also be detained, it said.
Environmental concerns at play
The note did not explain why Oman had taken the decision to ban open-loop scrubber use, but a number of ports have made similar moves over environmental concerns. Advocates for scrubbers insist open-loop scrubber use is not harmful to the marine environment.
If nothing else, Oman is unlikely to be accused of simply jumping on the bandwagon; its move comes well after peak scrubber hysteria hit last year, with COVID-era oil prices now the key driver for a rethink on the technology’s place in the global fleet.
Currently there are 12 countries and regions that have banned the use of open-loop scrubbers in their territorial waters.
Data from vessel classification society DNV shows that open-loop scrubbers currently account for about 80% of all the scrubber installations, while closed-loop scrubbers and hybrid scrubbers account for 18% and 2% respectively.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Standard Club
