Strong economic incentives of ship scrubbers promoting pollution
Journal article, 2024
In response to stricter regulations on ship air emissions, many shipowners have installed exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers, allowing for use of cheap residual heavy fuel oil. Scrubbers produce large volumes of acidic and polluted water that is discharged to the sea. Due to environmental concerns, the use of scrubbers is being discussed within the International Maritime Organization. Real-world simulations of global scrubber-vessel activity, applying actual fuel costs and expenses related to scrubber operations, show that 51% of the global scrubber-fitted fleet reached economic break even by the end of 2022, with a surplus of €4.7 billion in 2019 euros. Within five years after installation, more than 95% of the ships with the most common scrubber systems reach break even. However, the marine ecotoxicity damage cost, from scrubber water discharge in the Baltic Sea Area 2014–2022, amounts to >€680 million in 2019 euros, showing that private economic interests come at the expense of marine environmental damage.
Author
Anna Lunde Hermansson
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
Ida-Maja Hassellöv
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
T. Grönholm
Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)
J. P. Jalkanen
Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)
Erik Fridell
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
Rasmus Parsmo
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
Jesper Hassellöv
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
Erik Ytreberg
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
Nature Sustainability
23989629 (eISSN)
Vol. In PressEvaluation, control and Mitigation of the EnviRonmental impacts of shippinG Emissions (EMERGE)
European Commission (EC) (EC/H2020/874990), 2020-02-01 -- 2024-01-31.
Subject Categories
Economics
Other Environmental Engineering
Marine Engineering
Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1038/s41893-024-01347-1