Damen subsidiary Damen Shiprepair Harbour & Voyage (DSHV) signed a joint partnership co-operation agreement with Dutch firm Verolme Special Equipment to provide services for exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS)
Damen said the partnership will create a global service provider of scrubbers which will be available around the clock.
Scrubber installations are projected to grow in the long-term as operators seek to comply with sulphur cap and other emissions regulations. With the increase in scrubber installations comes a potential increase in maintenance, service, modifications and repairs, Damen said.
“With any new technology, there is always a learning curve, and this is also the case with the EGCS," Damen Shiprepair Harbour & Voyage managing director Jozeph Quak said. "There are potential problems due to vibrations in the new added steel structures. Additionally, the acidic nature of sulphur can cause corrosion to the discharge piping, overboard pipes and scrubber system itself.”
The issues Mr Quak listed are well known and have been observed in existing systems, sometimes resulting in corroded and cracked pipework.
Damen said systems installed without proper material considerations are susceptible to mechnaical failures, serious corrosion and damage to parts. Some of the problems can be solved by replacing pipework with glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipe systems and installing high-alloy austenitic stainless steel such as SMO to withstand corrosion in crucial locations.
Damen said the partnership is aimed at reducing downtime if these problems occur and when repairs are necessary, working together with scrubber system manufacturers.
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