Huge increase in open-loop scrubber usage in ships: Report

India, Jan. 9 -- Open loop scrubbers release sulphur exhaust that they clean in ships back into the sea and are thus more harmful than closed loop scrubbers

There has been a huge increase in the use of open-loop scrubbers in ships in just last one year, even as a debate about their viability in mitigating sulphur emissions from ships has also escalated.

According to GlobalData, a data and analytics company, there are currently 3,756 vessels with scrubbers installed, compared to just 767 in 2018. Out of these, only 65 have closed-loop, rest are all open-loop.

The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI in 2008 that regulates the preventio...