In a significant step towards decarbonisation, Wärtsilä, the technology group, has announced that it has received its first order for carbon capture and storage-ready scrubber systems. Click to read more.
The technology group
Wärtsilä managed a record-breaking amount of scrubber deliveries in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the continued interest in exhaust gas abatement systems as long-term solutions for the global fleet.
A significant order was booked in November 2020 with a Japanese shipyard, Japan Marine United (JMU), to install a 25MW scrubber on a new Japanese-owned Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) set to be delivered in 2022.
The order on this newbuild VLCC reinforces the long-term position of exhaust gas treatment technologies. The system will run in an open loop configuration. The 2022 delivery date for the vessel proves that scrubbers are seen as a full lifecycle asset. Wärtsilä’s scrubbers take a modular approach and can be upgraded over time, with the potential to mitigate Nitrogen oxide (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM).
The technology group
Wärtsilä will convert the close to 90 MW Bel-Air power plant in Dakar, Senegal to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The plant, which is owned by Senelec, Senegal’s public utility company, currently operates on heavy fuel oil. The conversion will future-proof the facility as Senegal’s long-term strategy is to lower the carbon footprint of energy production by switching to gas when a domestic supply is available. This project is part of an interim LNG-to-Power ‘bridge’ solution, and is the first ever power plant gas conversion in Senegal. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in Q1 2021.