Yara Marine pens scrubber retrofit deal with Berge Bulk

Norwegian provider of exhaust gas cleaning systems Yara Marine Technologies has secured a new retrofit deal with bulker owner and operator Berge Bulk for additional in-line scrubbers.

The companies have already cooperated on scrubber installations with Yara Marine already having installed in-line scrubbers on about 30 of Berge Bulk’s carriers. However, they did not disclose how many vessels will be covered by the new deal.

“We have had good experiences using Yara Marine for emissions reduction. They have already provided several of our vessels with efficient, safe, and reliable scrubbers. That is why we are very happy to announce the new deal and our continued commitment to reduce emissions at sea. Retrofitting in-line scrubbers on additional vessels will improve our fleet’s performance,” said Berge Bulk in a statement.

Berge Bulk owns and manages over 80 vessels, equating to over 13 million DWT in the water.

The shipowner has already committed to an ambitious environmental strategy as it aims to become a carbon-neutral company by 2025. The transition will entail switching to new energy-efficient vessels, and supporting and investing in companies that are developing alternative fuels.

“We share Berge Bulk’s commitment to reducing emissions and look forward to providing our best expertise when equipping even more of their ships with our exhaust gas cleaning technology,” said Thomas Koniordos, CEO at Yara Marine.

In addition to installing the new scrubbers this year, Yara Marine will continue to provide long-term service and maintenance for all scrubbers on Berge Bulk’s carriers.

“As we broaden our scope and are rapidly becoming a comprehensive green tech provider to the maritime industry, scrubbers remain a core part of our business, and service agreements are becoming ever more sought after. Access to high-quality service is crucial to ensure optimal scrubber performance and benefits,” said Aleksander Askeland, CSO at Yara Marine.

The company believes that a new wave of scrubber orders is in the making, spurred on by the increasing spread between low- and high-sulphur fuel oil. The rebound in demand is being projected after a major slump in 2020, mainly driven by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, the crisis has accelerated the company’s expansion plans beyond scrubbers. As disclosed, the core priority of the company has switched to the provision of technologies paving the way for a ‘greener marine industry’.

In line with this strategy, in April, Yara Marine announced it was partnering up with BAR Technologies to design and implement wind-assisted propulsion for the shipping industry.

Under the agreement, Yara Marine will offer WindWings in its portfolio to ship owners and manage the value chain of procurement, construction, installation, service, and training.

This will include WindWings for the first commercial retrofit to a Cargill vessel, expected for delivery in 2022.

The move was revealed on the back of the company’s decision to relaunch its shore power business amid increasing demand for onshore power supply systems.