Chinese scrubber manufacturer Shanghai Bluesoul Environmental Technology has received the first Approval in Principle (AiP) by classification society DNV GL in recognition of the technical feasibility of the BlueSulf scrubber system.

The AiP is said to be the first of its kind for a scrubber according to the new DNV GL rule set, and the first for a Chinese scrubber manufacturer.

“We are very pleased to be the first Chinese supplier to receive this AiP and it demonstrates BlueSulf’s design in compliance with DNV GL class rules requirements, by using the sodium alkali method to clean exhaust gasses. We have signed three scrubber projects with Chinese and European owners and we are also in negotiations for several potential retrofit and new building projects,” Jacky Chow, Chief Operating Officer of Shanghai Bluesoul, said.

DNV GL said it will also provide advisory services to Bluesoul, including hardware-in-the-loop testing, simulations using the DNV GL COSMOSS tool and analyses using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

BlueSulf scrubber is a hybrid system that can switch between open and closed loop mode. This type of system is said to allow greater flexibility to adjust to changes in water salinity and requirements in different ports. In some areas, the use of open loop scrubbers has been prohibited.

Able to operate both on seawater and fresh water, the design reduces the sulfur content in exhaust gas to 0.1 percent or less, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Chinese Emission Control Area (0.5 percent) that has been in force in eleven ports in China since January 1, 2017, and the upcoming global sulfur cap.