Four 8,200 TEUs container ships will be equipped with the Finnish tech company's open loop 35MW scrubber systems, prepared for upgrading to capture & store carbon.

The delivery is expected to take place in 2023. Wärtsilä is currently testing its CCS system at a 70% capture rate; a pilot installation will occur within 12 months.

"The scrubbers are termed CCS-ready because, as part of their installation, Wärtsilä will perform additional design and engineering work to ensure that future retrofits for a full CCS system on the vessels have already been accounted for during the newbuilding construction stage," the manufacturer said in a press release.

The company also explained, "Wärtsilä will take measures to ensure adequate space for the future installation of the CCS system, incorporate considerations for minimising idle load and optimising utilities, and prepare the control and automation system accordingly. CCS-ready scrubbers will also be designed for integration with a particulate matter filter."

Scott Oh, Director at Wärtsilä's Exhaust Treatment Asia, also said, "We are very excited to announce this world-first order for our CCS-ready scrubber solution. By investing in a CCS-ready scrubber, shipowners will futureproof their assets and enable a smooth transition to CCS adoption once the technology is mature in the very near future. CCS is one of the key solutions to enable maritime decarbonisation in a short timeframe, and we look forward to progressing our technology further."

Photo: Wärtsilä