Damen has become the first shipyard to achieve official EU Stage V certification for its in-house developed emissions reduction system. It is a one-system-solution that combines soot filters with a selective catalytic reduction system to remove particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
With many Damen vessels operating in harbours and waterways that are close to or within urban areas, the group felt it had an obligation to develop an emission reduction system to address the health issues presented by the particulate matter emitted by diesel engines as well as the environmental impacts resulting from excess nitrogen oxides.
In addition to reducing emission the Emission Reduction System (ERS) also delivers substantial noise reduction that averages 45 dB(A). The system allows vessels to meet the requirements of IMO Tier III, ULEV and EU stage V regulations.
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All standard fuels
The Damen ERS is designed for both primary and auxiliary engines generating between 300 and 700 kW of output. The development of the EU Stage V system began in 2017, following Damen achieving certification for its NOx reduction system to comply with IMO Tier III emissions regulations.
‘It has taken six years to reach this point, but our ERS goes beyond the parameters set by the regulators to ensure that they are robust and flexible,’ says Raymond Watson, Technology Specialist Aftertreatment Systems at Damen. ‘For example, they are designed to work with all standard fuels to ensure worldwide operability, and their modular design means that they can be installed on all types of vessel, matched to the specific operating profile of each.’
To achieve certification, Damen partnered with Bureau Veritas. Damen is currently working on the certification of the ERS for multiple propulsion trains with outputs up to more than 4000 kW, and all will be available soon as IMO Tier III, ULEV and EU stage V certified systems for both new build and retrofit vessels.
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