Editorial
September 2014
Alfa Laval announces PureSOx 2.0,
expanding the strengths of its scrubber
technology
PureSOx from Alfa Laval is one of the market-leading alternatives for complying with
the sulphur limits imposed by MARPOL Annex VI and its guideline MEPC 184(59). With
January 2015 and the enforcement of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) rapidly
approaching, Alfa Laval has launched a new generation of the scrubber with a wide
range of enhancements and options: PureSOx 2.0.
PureSOx from Alfa Laval has been operating at sea since 2009 and is among the most
prominent scrubbers on today’s market. It is also one of the most widely sold, having
generated orders for 50 systems on 45 vessels. Now a new generation of the system,
PureSOx 2.0, has been presented at this year’s SMM in Hamburg.
Smaller and more flexible, PureSOx 2.0 suits an even wider range of vessels and offers
benefits from the design stage to ongoing operation. These include new placement
possibilities and lower installation costs, as well as the option of powder dosing in closed-loop
mode. “PureSOx 2.0 retains the well-documented PureSOx strengths,” says René Diks, Alfa
Laval Manager Marketing & Sales, Exhaust Gas Cleaning. “What it adds are new advances
that reinforce the system’s position at the leading edge of marine scrubber technology.”
A major step in ongoing development
PureSOx 2.0 is not a departure, but rather a milestone in a continuous development process.
Though refined with experience over time, the proven PureSOx technology is still
fundamentally the same as that of the very first PureSOx system, which still serves the twostroke 21 MW main engine aboard the DFDS Ficaria Seaways.
“Every PureSOx system ever installed is in use and operating within ECA limits,” says Diks,
who points out that PureSOx today has more references than any other single SOx scrubber
technology. “PureSOx 2.0 is more of an evolution than a revolution,” he explains, “but the
PureSOx is a trademark owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa
Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.
page 2/4
benefits are so significant that they call for a new version name.”
An easier, more flexible fit
Perhaps the most evident difference in PureSOx 2.0 is the diameter of the absorber, which
forms the bulk of the scrubber body. This has been reduced by around 15%, which lessens the
likelihood that cargo or passenger space will be affected by the scrubber installation. Further
reduced is the size of the control system, which is a full 50% smaller than the previous version.
Even the water cleaning unit used in closed-loop mode – already the most compact solution of
its kind – is now easier to get on board. The unit is significantly more modular in PureSOx 2.0,
with equipment now distributed across three skids. These can be loaded onto the vessel
separately, and their independent placement allows greater flexibility in design.
“Size and flexibility are of primary importance when integrating a scrubber into the vessel,”
says Diks. “PureSOx 2.0 makes a real difference in these respects, especially in a retrofit.”
New connection and placement possibilities
In fact, PureSOx 2.0 opens up a range of design opportunities, allowing it to be even more
effectively integrated. For example, it is designed to handle boiler exhaust, which removes the
need for an additional exhaust gas cleaning system when the boiler is fired with HFO.
“PureSOx was developed from the beginning as a multiple-inlet system, able to clean the
exhaust gas from several engines,” Diks explains. “PureSOx 2.0 takes this one step further,
allowing a single scrubber to handle the exhaust from main engines, auxiliary engines and
boilers.”
Moreover, the scrubber itself attenuates noise in PureSOx 2.0. This means it can now be
positioned before the silencer, rather than after as previously required. Especially in a
newbuild, this means it can be placed lower in the vessel. Not only does this improve vessel
stability, it also has the benefit of reducing back pressure. “Lowering the pressure will ease the
burden on the engine,” Diks says, “which may have a positive effect on the vessel’s fuel
consumption.”
Simplicity and economy in operation
When it comes to operation, the most notable difference in PureSOx 2.0 is the option of
PureSOx is a trademark owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa
Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.
page 3/4
powder dosing, which applies to both closed-loop and hybrid configurations. When running in
closed-loop mode, the circulation water must be dosed with an alkaline additive. Up to now
this has always been the liquid additive caustic soda, but in PureSOx 2.0 a powder like sodium
bicarbonate can be used instead. Taken aboard dry and loaded into a silo, the powder is
mixed with desalinated water before entering the closed-loop circuit.
“For the crew there is an immediate benefit in powder dosing, since it reduces the risks
involved when handling the consumables,” Diks says. “The long-term advantage is the fact
that powder additives are less expensive. When powder dosing is chosen, there is a reduction
in operating costs that offsets the equipment investment.”
Continuing to push ahead
Without a doubt, the release of PureSOx 2.0 offers significant benefits for ship owners and
operators, as well as the shipyards they employ. Nonetheless, Diks emphasizes its place as
part of a total effort in emission control, which includes the new Alfa Laval Test & Training
Centre in Aalborg, Denmark. Equivalent to a full-sized engine room on land – complete with all
major process lines – this facility provides opportunities to further refine PureSOx and explore
its interaction with other technologies on board.
“PureSOx 2.0 is a system we are extremely proud of. It represents a major milestone, both in
terms of the PureSOx technology itself and in terms of Alfa Laval’s overall commitment to
exhaust gas cleaning,” Diks says. “But development will continue, both at Alfa Laval’s own
R&D facilities and at sea in cooperation with our customers.”
To learn more about PureSOx 2.0 and Alfa Laval’s approach to exhaust gas cleaning with
scrubbers, visit www.alfalaval.com/puresox
PureSOx is a trademark owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa
Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.
page 4/4
Editor’s notes
About Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based
on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.
The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in
optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate
and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and
petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.
Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical
engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for
comfort climate and refrigeration applications.
Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to
help them stay ahead in the global arena.
Alfa Laval is listed on Nasdaq OMX, and, in 2013, posted annual sales of about SEK 29.8
billion (approx. 3.5 billion Euros). The company has today, after the acquisition of Frank Mohn
AS about 17 500 employees.
www.alfalaval.com
For further information, please contact:
Anne Kirstine Senderovitz
Communication Manager, V.P.
Marine & Diesel Division, Alfa Laval
Phone: +45 39 53 63 11
E-mail: annekirstine.senderovitz@alfalaval.com
www.alfalaval.com/marine
Rene Diks
Manager Marketing & Sales
Business Unit Exhaust gas cleaning
Alfa Laval Aalborg Nijmegen BV, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 24 352 3180
E-mail: rene.diks@alfalaval.com
www.alfalaval.com/marine
PureSOx is a trademark owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa
Laval Corporate AB. Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.