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Estonian firm Tallinn Shipyard - a member of BLRT Grupp - has installed exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs) on four vessels belonging to the Finnish shipping company Finnlines. The systems enable ship owners to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Exhaust gas cleaning systems were installed on four Finnlines ro-ro vessels: Finnkraft, Finnhawk, Finnmill and Finnpulp. The installation of each system was completed within less than a month.

The working principle of the systems, also known as scrubbers or exhaust gas purification systems, is based on scrubbing exhaust gases with liquid during maximum contact with the gas particles.

In a statement, Tallinn Shipyard explained: "Each project required profound preparations, since systems are designed individually according to the singularity of each vessel."

Tallinn Shipyard was involved in the design process, the manufacturing of construction systems and elements, the installation and turnkey assembly.

"According to the evaluation of some specialists, the total market volume of the installation of exhaust gas purification systems is estimated at several billion euros. Several similar projects await us ahead and we hope to fulfil each of them with the same success," commented Gabriel Avanesov, marketing director of BLRT Grupp shipyards.

The growth of the scrubber installation segment is linked to the implementation of new IMO requirements at the start of the year. Exhaust gases are now required to be purified on board ships that are burning fuel with a higher sulphur content than 0.1 percent in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) such as the Baltic Sea region.

Tallinn Shipyard, Turku Repair Yard and Western Shiprepair Yard are members of the BLRT Grupp. BLRT Grupp offers a range of services that cover the total life cycle of vessels - from design and construction to overhaul and recycling.