No more “Smoke On The Water”

Reducing sludge from ferries with decanter centrifuges

1 Modern shipping companies use exhaust gas cleaning systems to significantly reduce particulate and sulfur emissions

2 The de-hydrated sludge is temporarily stored in small containers and is then disposed of properly on the mainland

3 Flottweg decanters reduce the sludge from the exhaust gas cleaning directly on-board, saving significant costs

Whereas environmental protection on land and in areas of high population density are very prevalent today, the shipping industry has until now been allowed many environmental offenses. But now, ship operators must clean their exhaust gases in order to sustainably protect the oceans. Decanter centrifuges made by Flottweg enable Stena Line to thoroughly treat the resulting sludge from froth flotation and to significantly reduce the volume of the sludge. By dehydrating the solids, this hazardous waste can be temporarily stored in containers on the ship in order to dispose of it in an environmentally safe manner at the nearest port.

According to the German Federal Environmental Agency, approximately 40 000 merchant ships are traversing the world‘s oceans, in addition to scores of ferries and giant cruise ships. In international trade alone, shipping holds an undisputed top position at 90 %. In terms of environmental protection, however, it is far from the top position with its high emissions. This needs to be changed. With stricter guidelines from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the oceans will be better protected in the future from the stresses of high particulate and sulfur emissions. Starting in 2020,...