IACCSEA

IACCSEA

A catalyst for clean shipping

Find out about IACCSEA
NOx

NOx

a toxic pollutant detrimental to health and ecosystems

Find out more
Marine SCR

Marine SCR

a proven and viable technology

Find out more
Our work

Our work

For news, insights and publications

Find out more

At IACCSEA we have a clear goal:
To be a catalyst for clean shipping

by demonstrating the technological and economic viability of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology capable of reducing NOx emissions from marine engines.

We do this by:

  • Sharing objective and factual technical information
  • Contributing to industry groups and forums, and regulatory discussions
  • Working with others in the shipping community
Find out about IACCSEA

The problem: NOx from ships

NOx, formed in the heat of the marine engine, is a dangerous, acidic pollutant that can be transported over many hundreds of miles and deposited as acid rain. It promotes the formation of ground level ozone, detrimental to human health and is known to exacerbate heart and lung complaints. NOx acidifies its environment and damages plant life in the sea and on land.

Key facts and figures

  • Toxic and acidic local pollutant
  • Detrimental to human health
  • Damages plant life in the sea and on land
  • 50bn euro – expected social cost of NOx pollution from shipping in Europe alone in 2020
Find out more

The solution: Marine SCR

SCR technology uses a simple chemical reaction to neutralise the NOx in the exhaust. The catalyst promotes the reaction between NOx and a reducing agent, such as ammonia, at the relatively low temperatures of an exhaust stream. This process produces harmless nitrogen and water. Highly efficient, SCR is capable of removing up to 99% of the NOx. The technology is well-established, with widespread application and has been used on marine vessels since the early 1990’s.

SCR is installed on more than 1,000 vessels but yet shipping remains a niche market for the technology. All is set to change as the IMO’s Tier III requirement is now in force requiring new build vessels from 2016 to emit substantially reduced NOx when operating in Emission Control Areas. SCR is a proven and commercially available technology capable of meeting the IMO Tier III NOx requirements and is expected to become a standard in shipping, just as catalytic converters are on cars.

Key facts and figures

  • Proven and viable technology
  • 1,000+ known SCR installations
  • 250+ retrofitted SCR
  • 1st marine retrofit dates to 1989
  • € 15-70 per kW engine power, CAPEX
  • € 5-7 per MWh engine power, running and maintenance costs
  • Supports fuel efficiency gains, lower ship running costs and CO2 emissions
Find out more

Dr Joseph McCarney, the Association’s Chairman, explained:

Meeting IMO’s Tier III NOx limits, is a technological challenge for the marine Industry and exhaust gas after-treatment technology continues to play an important role. The regulators had the capabilities of SCR technology in mind when the NOx limits were set and to date SCR remains the only proven technology capable of meeting, even surpassing the strictest of regulatory requirements. The SCR system works with the engine and is engineered to respond to different engine conditions. It can even help deliver improvements in efficiency e.g. when the engine is tuned to maximum fuel efficiency (lower CO2 emissions) and the higher NOx emissions neutralised via the SCR. IACCSEA was formed recognising the need for credible technical information as confusion amongst the key stakeholders has led to an unsettling uncertainty in the market place. Thus, we strive to act as a beacon to the shipping community and become an authoritative voice on NOx emissions from shipping.

Former UK Secretary of State for the Environment, Lord Deben –
IACCSEA’s honorary President – commented:

NOx is a dangerous pollutant, particularly for children, asthma sufferers and the elderly. For many areas it is predicted that by 2020 more NOx will come from the shipping fleet than land-based sources. We need to continue to address the issues surrounding local pollutants whilst we deal with climate change – they are two sides of the same coin. I am particularly happy with what IACCSEA has accomplished to date. It represents an industry that can remove almost all the NOx from a ship engine and will make a very valuable contribution to the debate on how to achieve clean shipping.

  • Johnson Matthey Catalysts – Emission Control Technologies
  • H+H Engineering & Service GmbH
  • Umicore
  • Cormetech
  • Danfoss IXA
  • TecnoVeritas