Equinox Class scrubber systems receive certification

Algoma Central Corporation has received all requisite approvals of its exhaust gas scrubbing systems installed aboard its Equinox Class of vessels. The scrubber units manufactured by Wärtsilä are designed to remove 97% of sulphur oxide emissions generated by vessel engines. The scrubber works with fresh water recirculating in a closed-loop system. Sulphur oxides are washed out of the exhaust and then neutralized. Contaminants are disposed of at reception facilities in port. All vessel emissions meet exacting International Maritime Organization (IMO), US Environmental Protection Agency, and Canadian regulatory standards. The scrubber unit on the Algoma Equinox (the first built of the eight-vessel series) was installed by a team from Wärtsilä together with Algoma technical and shipboard personnel during the past summer, and the system underwent rigorous testing in early September 2014. Testing confirmed the scrubber’s effectiveness at removing 97% of the sulphur oxide emissions from all engine exhaust streams aboard the Algoma Equinox and the approvals apply to each of the seven other Equinox Class ships.