Scrubber Ban: A Breath of Fresh Air for Our Oceans

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July ushered in a breath of fresh air—literally—while Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) or, scrubbers, are being forced out!  

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Nordic countries, specifically Denmark, Findland, and Sweden, kicked off the month by enforcing their scrubber bans as of July 1st, and kicking out open-loop scrubber discharges from their territorial waters.  With phase one of the ban now in effect, the restrictions only become more onerous for shipowners who’ve chosen to employ these toxic polluting devices onboard, culminating in a total ban on scrubber discharges and residues by January 1, 2029.

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Following the landmark OSPAR Scrubber ban set to prohibit scrubber discharge across North-East Atlantic by July 2027, the maritime industry is bracing for a broader regulatory shift.  With growing pressure from environmental organizations and continued scientific research substantiating the harmful effects toxic scrubber discharge has on fragile marine ecosystems, other jurisdictions are likely to follow suit.

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Additionally, with major financial players including Citi, Société Générale, ING, DNB, and the remaining members of the Poseiden Principles, taking a recent interest in biodiversity, scrubber usage is sure to fall out of favor with the  financiers shipowners rely on.  

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Hudson applauds these encouraging developments and remains hopeful that a worldwide ban on scrubbers in not just possible, but imminent!  While Hudson has been leading the charge, vowing not to utilize scrubbers since 2019, the rest of the industry can no longer afford to lag behind.  Neither can our ecosystems.

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