The Number of Ships Equipped with Scrubbers Doubles

The number of ships equipped with exhaust gas scrubbers has nearly doubled since the new 0.5% sulfur limit in marine fuels came into effect 15 months ago, on January 1, 2020. According to figures published by BIMCO, the number has increased from 2,011 ships with scrubbers to 3,935 as of March 1, 2021.

By ship type, 15.9% of container ships (28.7% in TEU), 11.4% of bulk carriers (22.7% in TPM), 24.5% of all crude oil tankers (29.9% in TPM), and 4.2% of all product tankers (13.4% in TPM) are now equipped with this technology.

According to Peter Sand, chief analyst at BIMCO, there is a clear trend for larger ships, which consume more fuel, to opt for the installation of scrubbers.

The choice between using low-sulfur fuels or investing in the installation of scrubbers on a ship to continue using heavy fuel oil largely depends on the price differential between the two fuels.

Throughout 2020, due in part to the low price of oil, this differential remained below $100/ton. However, in the early months of 2021, it seems to have found a stable level slightly above that figure, which, according to Sand, will lead shipowners to request their new builds with installed scrubbers.

Photo: José Javier Pérez Martín