AS IMO 2020 has kicked in, there are long waiting lists at Chinese shipyards for installation of scrubbers to meet the IMO’s low-sulphur fuel mandate, exacerbated by the impact of coronavirus on Chinese manufacturing.

While very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) is seen by some as the response to this regulation, concerns have been raised that some blends give off higher black carbon emissions than high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO).

That, together with technical problems, has put shipowners under pressure to take remedial action to curb use of the VLSFO. Some owners have changed strategy because of technical problems, switching from VLSFO to scrubbers.

The exhaust gas cleaning system, commonly referred to as a scrubber, has become a popular and practical method of reducing sulphur to meet IMO 2020, but due to long delivery and installation time, and the usual requirement of dry docking, many shipowners hesitate to make a decision.

However, Global Echo has developed a new concept of scrubber retrofit for owners. Global Echo said: “With us, we can complete a retrofit within five months from order date, and this is already proved from our several projects with global owners such as Vitol service, Zodiac Maritime and Hyundai Merchant Marine.”

In the case of capesize bulk carriers and very large ore carriers, Global Echo used pre-voyage physical checks, feasibility testing and 3D scanning to prepare the entire retrofit project, in readiness to retrofit upon the vessel’s arrival in China from its 90-day China-Brazil-China journey.

Global Echo has focused on successfully completing retrofit work with reliable results before promoting its strategy, but is now moving forward in the marketplace. Already, Global Echo’s order book has increased progressively through word of mouth.

Through 20 reference projects, Global Echo has disproved the need for drydock retrofitting, instead carrying out the work on the wharf in less than half the 40-day period associated with a drydock retrofit. In one month alone, Global Echo made three wharf-side retrofit projects simultaneously in three weeks, an unofficial world record, without a single failure.

Following sea trial success, short-term International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate was renewed immediately.

Global Echo is currently offering scrubbers for delivery in June 2020 and invites owners hesitating to install a scrubber because of obstacles to contact the company for guidance as soon as possible.