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Source: Alfa Laval

Meeting the emission challenge

Like energy efficiency, which has both environmental and monetary aspects, today's most pressing environmental issue is one heavily influenced by fuel costs. With Emission Control Areas (ECAs) for SOx appearing in January 2015, and ECAs for NOx to follow in 2016, the fuel costs associated with emission compliance are on every operator’s mind. Once again, competitive solutions can be found in the Pure Thinking portfolio, where PureVent, Alfa Laval’s unique air separator for cleaning crankcase gas, is now joined by PureSOx and PureNOx.

Launched in 2012, the PureSOx scrubber system allows vessels to meet SOx limits while continuing to use HFO, rather than switching to a more expensive, low-sulphur fuel. Having quickly established itself as a SOx abatement leader, the system is used extensively as a main engine scrubber and can be found in installations as large as 28 MW. "PureSOx is proven at sea and has more reference installations than any other single SOx scrubber technology," says Peter Leifland, President Marine & Diesel Division. "Whereas other suppliers have developed or even purchased multiple scrubber technologies, Alfa Laval has continuously optimized the original PureSOx platform, which draws on our more than 40 years of marine scrubber experience and our separation expertise for wash water cleaning."

Wash water cleaning is also in focus with PureNOx, which performs this vital function as part of a complete exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) solution. EGR is developed by MAN Diesel & Turbo for their low speed engines. "PureNOx safeguards the EGR solution's efficiency, protects the engine components and enables the discharge of excess water in accordance with IMO criteria." says Leifland. Aboard two container vessels from A.P. Moller-Maersk, installations with PureNOx have already logged around 3500 hours of successful EGR operation.

New advances at SMM and beyond

Development continues within the Pure Thinking portfolio, in emission control and beyond. Additional PureNOx systems have been delivered to Chevron Corporation for EGR on two lighter newbuilds, and this year’s SMM will see the unveiling of PureSOx 2.0, a more compact system with new options and increased flexibility. "With SOx limits just around the corner in 2015, Alfa Laval is proud to be presenting an even more competitive PureSOx scrubber at this year’s SMM," says Leifland.

Looking even further into the future, Alfa Laval is exploring new solutions to serve the industry. This is exactly the sort of thinking made possible by the new Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre, a facility in Aalborg, Denmark with a 250 m2 testing space, where the interaction of equipment and full process lines can be explored. As the closest thing on land to the machinery room of a full-sized commercial vessel, the centre provides a springboard for new innovations – and for making current solutions smaller, simpler and more energy efficient.

"This is a critical time for the marine industry, which makes it an exciting time to be involved with Pure Thinking," says Leifland. "Through ten years of hard work, Alfa Laval has ensured that solutions are in place now, exactly when and where they're needed. Plus we’ve created a body of knowledge and new resources that will ensure tomorrow’s solutions."

"Pure Thinking will continue," Leifland concludes, "and as time goes on, the thinking will be even more closely linked with action."