Saudi Arabia has joined the list of countries to ban the use of open loop scrubbers at the country’s ports.
According to a circular by Saudi Port Authority, ship exhaust wash water from open loop exhaust gas cleaning systems are not allowed to be discharged in Saudi ports until an environmental standard is issued.
Earlier this month, Oman also announced a ban on open loop scrubbers in its territorial waters.
Currently there are 13 countries and regions that have banned the use of open loop scrubbers in their territorial waters.
Data from vessel classification society DNV shows that open loop scrubbers currently account for about 80% of all the scrubber installations, while closed loop scrubbers and hybrid scrubbers account for 18% and 2% respectively.
