Technology group Wärtsilä will supply customized Hybrid Scrubber system packages for two cruise vessels owned and operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL).
The 325m-long (1,066ft) Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway vessels will be fitted with Wärtsilä scrubber systems, enabling them to be in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) sulfur restriction legislation while operating on heavy fuel oil (HFO). The legislation became effective in January 2020. Customization of the system was required in order to meet the ships’ restricted space availability.
“Wärtsilä’s technical and engineering capabilities are once again emphasized with this tailor-made exhaust gas cleaning solution,” said Sigurd Jenssen, director, Exhaust Gas Cleaning, Wärtsilä Marine. “Obviously not all installations are the same and there is no single system that fits all applications. Having the flexibility to adjust the design to meet the customer’s specific needs is an important value-adding feature of our offering.”
The Wärtsilä hybrid solution allows for flexibility in the cleaning of sulfur from the exhaust gases. When operating in closed-loop mode, the washwater circulates from the scrubber unit to a process tank, with seawater being used as make-up replenishment water as needed.
“We previously worked with Wärtsilä and are familiar with the quality and reliability of the group’s solutions,” said Giovanni Canu, VP, Special Projects and Operational Support at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “We were confident, therefore, that the team there could design and engineer a sulfur emissions abatement system that could be successfully integrated into our two vessels. The VSOx scrubbers are the right choice for this project, being both efficient and the right technical solution. They will allow us to serve our customers, the environment, and society in general, by meeting and exceeding the strict regulatory and environmental targets.”