The Port of Fujairah has become the latest of several harbours worldwide to prohibit the use of open-loop exhaust gas scrubbers as a way to meet pending IMO 2020 regulations.
"Please be advised that Port of Fujairah has decided to ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its waters," said harbour master Captain Tamer Masoud.
"Ships will have to use compliant fuel once the IMO 2020 sulphur cap comes into force."
The notice was sent Tuesday to all agents, bunkering companies, oil terminal users and others.
Fujairah is one of the world's busiest terminals, especially for shipments of oil from the Middle East Gulf.
Open-loop scrubbers dispense waste water effluent into the ocean as opposed to a closed-loop set-up, which places the discharge into an onboard holding tank for onshore disposal.
Abu Dhabi Ports has a "conditional" ban that allows wash water to be discharged "only if it is free from pollutants", North P&I Club said in its list of states that ban open-loop scrubbers.
"Any exhaust gas scrubber sludge should be discharged from a vessel to an ADPC licensed waste disposal contractor."
Other countries banning their use as of 3 December include China, Singapore, Lithuania, Latvia and Belgium, according to North P&I Club.
Germany, Ireland and the US have partial bans.
Numerous shipowners have invested in open-loop scrubbers to meet IMO 2020, which will require ship exhaust sulphur content to decrease to 0.5% from 3.5% by 1 January 2020.
Some ports have banned them, however, over concerns related to the release of sulphur, toxic metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as seawater acidification.
"There's obviously something going on here with concerns with China and Singapore regarding the wash water that comes out of the scrubbers, particularly the acidity," marine fuel industry Adrian Tolson told TradeWinds.
"It's a bit of a surprise to see Fujairah do it because it's never been a port ahead of the curve on environmental issues."
