2013-EU-21006-S 

The North Sea, including the English Channel, is one of the busiest seas in the world. The traffic intensity is high and it is an important transport network connecting the UK with the EU mainland. The North Sea ECA is characterized by a large share of short sea shipping.

This study, part of TEN-T Priority Project 21 (Motorways of the Sea), is a pilot action aiming to overcome technical and operational barriers related to the introduction of hybrid scrubber technology. It helps to address the environmental challenges faced by the short sea shipping in two ways, namely by:

1. Deploying and studying a unique prototyped hybrid scrubber system that will be installed on a ferry (P&O Ferries) operating on a strategic transport route between the UK and the EU mainland (Hull-Rotterdam). The new system has three different modes: open loop, closed loop or dry (bypass) condition, and incorporates a sophisticated two-stage design which significantly reduces particulate matter discharge. This technology will give ship operators a viable business case and ensure compliance with legislation. Moreover, it anticipates  upcoming legislation which is stricter than the SECA 2015 by enabling a fully closed loop operating mode. The design flexibility makes this hybrid system the ideal solution for greening waterborne transport. The performance of the scrubber will be compared in a special study with emission results from ferries using purely SECA compliant fuel, both on the Hull-Rotterdam and Dover-Calais routes.
2. A port impact study on the new technology's impact on the environment, including SO2, NOx, CO2, and particle emissions in order to facilitate the uptake of the technology in the EU.

This project has been cancelled.

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