Verified results of CSNOx by ABS

The CSNOx gas abatement system has been undergoing trials onboard a 100,000 dwt Aframax tanker to measure the effectiveness of the equipment. In the first load point verifications, part of the ongoing IMO Type Approval certification process, conducted during the last week of January 2010 onboard the vessel, at 50% gas load (equivalent to approximately 5 MW engine output) and burning HFO with a 3.64% sulphur content, ABS issued a Statement of Fact on the performance of CSNOx system using. This showed reductions of 98.6%-98.9% in

SO

₂, 76.5%-77.1% in CO₂ and 64.5%-66.2% in NO_x.

This 100,000-tonne Singapore-registered Aframax tanker, owned and managed by Tanker Pacific, set sail from Singapore, travelling to the Middle East via Sri Lanka. Significantly, the removal efficiencies of the CSNOx system allows vessels installed with CSNOx to continue using normal heavy fuel and yet meet the 0.1% sulphur content as required by the EU Directive effective from 1 January 2010. In other words, Ecospec claims there is no need for vessel owners to convert to distillate fuel or modifying the fuel system for switching to distillate.

The removal efficiency for NOx is the absolute reduction percentage. After translating this removal efficiency into the NOx emission requirement as per the Tier 1, 2 or 3 requirements, the CSNOx system is able to remove NOx to such levels that vessels installed with it are able to meet even the strictest Tier 3 requirement.

Apart from meeting the

SO

₂

and NO

x requirements, the company says there is no other cost effective system currently available to remove CO₂ at the rate the CSNOx system is capable of. In addition, the results also affirm CSNOx scalability and suitability for a normal ship’s operations.

Said Chew Hwee Hong, founder and managing director of Ecospec, “The shipping community is thrilled with the results. CSNOx is extremely efficient in removing CO

_2,

SO

₂

and NO

_x

. Of significance is also the wash water quality, which met all IMO requirements with most parameters surpassing the strict criteria by a large margin. ABS verifications also underscore the fact that CSNOx is the world’s first proven commercially viable solution that can effectively reduce the hotly debated GHG and pollutants all in one system.”