Wärtsilä Hamworthy will provide four hybrid scrubber systems for two vessels under construction at Meyer Weft’s shipyard in Germany for Royal Caribbean International. Through the scrubbers, the new cruise ships comply with future environmental regulations.
The choice of scrubbers for Royal Caribbean’s new ‘Sunshine’ class vessels enables these ships to travel anywhere in the world, as the scrubbers will ensure compliance for the 2015 Emission Control Area (ECA) 0.1% sulphur limit, as well as the worldwide 0.5% limit from 2020 and the impending North American ECA, by removing sulphur emissions and harmful particulates from the vessel’s exhaust.
Hybrid Scrubbers
The scrubbers offer flexibility in their operation. The hybrid approach allows switching between open-loop and closed-loop scrubbing. This means that at sea, scrubbing using only sea water can be enabled, but while manoeuvring or in port the system can be closed, re-circulating the water already within the scrubber.
Royal Caribbean’s two ‘Sunshine’ class vessels are currently under construction, the first vessel is due for delivery in autumn 2014 with the second expected in spring 2015. Each will be able to accommodate 4100 passengers.
