Scrubber
Meaning
A scrubber (exhaust gas cleaning system) removes sulphur from a ship's exhaust, letting it burn cheaper high sulphur fuel oil while staying compliant.
Also written as Exhaust gas cleaning system, EGCS
Scrubber explained
Open-loop scrubbers discharge wash water to sea, and some ports and coastal states ban that, while closed-loop systems keep it on board. Charterers of scrubber ships pay attention to where open-loop operation is allowed.
On a time charter, the fuel saving from a scrubber accrues to the charterer, so owners often negotiate a scrubber premium on the hire.
Related terms
IMO 2020
IMO 2020 is the global limit, in force since 1 January 2020, of 0.50% sulphur in ship fuel outside emission control areas.
ECA
An emission control area (ECA) is a sea area where ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.10% sulphur, or use a scrubber, under MARPOL Annex VI.
Bunkers
Bunkers are a ship's fuel, mainly very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) for scrubber-fitted ships, and marine gasoil (MGO).