News / To scrubber or not to scrubber: that was the question for carriers

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The IMO’s regulation for a maximum 0.5% sulphur content in marine fuel coming into force on 1 January looks set to divide ocean carriers into two distinct low and high scrubber groups.

According to Drewry, there will be a group of ‘low-scrubber users’ with an average of just 1% of their ships equipped with the exhaust gas cleaning systems, operating only a handful of vessels, 2% of teu capacity, able continue to burn cheaper 3.5% sulphur content heavy fuel oil (HFO).

This ...