Speaking at its recent agm UGS president, Theodore Veniamis warned the polarisation of attitudes towards scrubbers is having a divisive effect on the shipping community, although he praised IMO for ‘political courage’ in looking at safety concerns raised by the industry over the introduction of new 2020-compliant fuels.
Not the first time the UGS criticised the legislation allowing exhaust gas scrubbers as an alternative to using low-sulphur fuel saying insufficient study has gone into allowing scrubbers.
Read more: Union of Greek Shipowners critical of IMO allowing scrubbers for 2020 sulphur cap compliance
“No way the environmental footprint [of scrubber use] has been evaluated as it should have been,” he said. The UGS has long backed the principle desulphurisation of fuels should be carried out ashore rather than on ships. Though a significant number of prominent Greek owners are among those opting for scrubbers Veniamis said his role as UGS president required him to “defend the interests of the majority”.
Read more: EGCSA urges authorities not to make hasty decisions banning open-loop scrubbers
He said that the EC “in view of its long-standing high environmental objectives” should have been quicker to face the safety issue and related implications for the protection of the marine environment.
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