Norbulk Orders Exhaust Gas Scrubbers for Its Vessels

Bermuda-headquartered ship manager Norbulk Shipping is having five of its vessels retrofitted with exhaust gas scrubbers (EGS) at Gibraltar’s Gibdock shipyard in November.

Using EGS, shipowners can continue operating on heavy fuel oil instead of more expensive marine gas oil to meet IMO rules on SOx emissions that came into force in Sulphur Emissions Control Areas on January 1, 2015.

Gibdock’s workload included the 37,500 dwt product tanker Great Eastern, the third of the five Norbulk vessels being fitted with ‘PureSOx’ main engine, auxiliary engine and boiler EGS units from Alfa Laval.

The hybrid PureSOx system removes over 98% of SOx emissions from exhaust gases and up to 80% of particulates, according to Gibdock. EGS installation work onboard Great Eastern included 90 tonnes of newly fabricated steel, the laying of 12,386m of electrical cabling and 1,134m of GRE pipes involving 800v flanges and elbows.

“This is a significant project for Gibdock in 2015. We have added dedicated EGS facilities and expertise to our natural competitive advantages of location and weather, and our hard-earned reputation for quality work delivered on time and on budget,” Richard Beards, Gibdock Managing Director, said:

The five vessels, operated by Norbulk Shipping and owned by global shipping group Vroon, are also undergoing special survey drydocking.