Seawater Scrubbing Technology Tested to Cut Emissions from Ships

Two California seaports are testing a technology that uses seawater to scrub emissions from the exhaust of ships, an innovation researchers say could reduce a vessel’s sulfur emissions by 99.9 percent and particulate matter by as much as 85 percent. Proponents say the advanced emission control technology — supplied by Bluefield Holdings Inc. and Krystallon, Ltd. — will be able to filter contaminants from a ship’s auxiliary engines and boiler before they reach the vessel’s exhaust stack. The seawater used in the process would then be treated before being dumped, while the solid contaminants would be stored for later disposal. The $3.4 million project, co-sponsored by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, will be tested over the next year on a container ship owned by the global shipping company APL.