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Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has won a repeat order for Alfa Laval’s PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning systems valued at approximately 19.5 MEUR (170 MSEK) from Danish ferry operator DFDS.

The contract was signed in June, and the order was booked and communicated to stakeholders in the second quarter of 2013.

Delivery is scheduled from January to July 2014 with retrofit installation and commissioning of eight DFDS vessels – five roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels and three roll-on/roll-off passenger (Ro-Pax) vessels – to follow immediately thereafter.

Alfa Laval’s long-term partnership with DFDS stretches back to 2008 when DFDS first installed PureSOx aboard M/V Ficaria Seaways. Since then, PureSOx has operated successfully for more than 10,000 hours in open and closed loop configurations and in full compliance with IMO regulations for sulphur emissions control areas. PureSOx is said to consistently reduce sulphur content from heavy fuel oil exhaust gas to a level below 0.1%.

Last December DFDS ordered PureSOx systems to retrofit three additional Ro-Ro vessels. Six months later, this latest order for PureSOx systems for eight additional vessels was received. This brings the total number of DFDS vessels, including the M/V Ficaria, that have been or will be retrofitted with PureSOx to 12.

"In placing its latest order, DFDS gives its tacit endorsement to the PureSOx system. The eight-vessel order is also noteworthy due to the range of: engine makers (MAN, GMT-Sulzer and Wärtsilä); engine types (both two- and four-stroke); total output power (18.9 to 28.8 MW); exhaust gas mass flow (124,600 to 205,000 kg/h). Moreover, the addition of the Ro-Pax vessel type extends the PureSOx vessel type beyond Ro-Ro vessels only," Alfa Laval said.

Commenting on the order, DFDS vice president and head of technical organisation, Kasper Moos, remarked: "With our investments in scrubber systems, DFDS is among the companies leading the way to compliance with the sulphur emissions regulations that will take effect in 2015. We believe hybrid scrubbers are among the most efficient alternatives to using expensive low-sulphur fuel oil. Based on our previous experience, PureSOx has proven to be a reliable and efficient retrofit solution. We have been very pleased with the cooperation with Alfa Laval."

The PureSOx scrubber solution provides competitive advantage by limiting the increase in DFDS’ operating costs. Using PureSOx enables DFDS to continue to use heavy fuel oil on these vessels instead of paying higher prices for low sulphur fuel while ensuring full compliance with current and future IMO sulphur emissions regulations.

"We are pleased that DFDS is satisfied with the performance of the Alfa Laval PureSOx systems,” said Peter Leifland, President, Alfa Laval Marine & Diesel Division. "We will continue to support DFDS in their discussions with ship designers and shipyards and in their efforts to ensure their vessels are fully compliant with IMO emissions regulations."

The IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships requires all vessels to comply with a 0.1% sulphur emission limit in certain Emission Control Areas (ECAs) beginning in 2015 and a 0.5% limit beginning in 2020.

Image: Vicaria Seaways.