Value Maritime has completed the first in a series of nine installations of its emissions reducing Filtree systems for product and chemical tanker company Ardmore Shipping Corporation.
Taking place in China, this was the first time that Value Maritime has installed its system outside of Europe. The Ardmore Seaventure is the first Ardmore vessel to be fully equipped with Value Maritime’s Filtree system. The remaining installations for Ardmore Shipping are scheduled to take place in China over the next nine months.
Ardmore’s order for nine Filtree systems is reflective of its ambitions for carbon emissions reduction and efficiency in its own fleet as well as the shipping industry at large. The Company established its own Energy Transition Plan (ETP) in 2021, which involves the deployment of clean technologies, innovative operational approaches, and the building of relationships with customers that are shifting priorities towards more sustainable transportation of liquid bulk cargoes.
The plug-and-play modular Filtree system will allow for the filtration of SO2, CO2 (on further upgrade) and 99% of ultra-fine particulate matter from Ardmore’s vessels. As a result, Ardmore can continue to sail with cost-effective, performance enhancing high sulphur fuel oil while simultaneously reducing emissions. As such, the Filtree system is said to offer a rapid return on investment.
In a further boost for sustainability, the system features a Clean Loop mechanism that filters its own wash water. This removes oil residues and particulate matter and neutralises the pH value of the discharge water.
Each of the nine installations on the Ardmore tankers will be carbon capture ready to further reduce emissions. With this, the CO2 from the vessel’s exhaust can be captured and stored in onboard tanks for onshore discharge later. The captured CO2 may then be used in a sustainable manner, for example, in the agricultural and food industries.
Yvette van der Sommen, Commercial Director, Value Maritime said: “We’re really pleased to have successfully completed the first in this series of installations for Ardmore. This represents a milestone moment for Value Maritime as the Filtree system makes its debut outside of Europe. We’re very proud to see this expansion, which is an indication of the relevance the system has in helping vessel operators to reduce their emissions. On behalf of our whole team, I’d like to thank Ardmore for their continued trust in Value Maritime. We’re very much looking forward to our ongoing collaboration in future installations.”
Ardmore CEO Anthony Gurnee said: “At Ardmore, our approach to the energy transition is underpinned by the mindset that shipping’s progress towards decarbonisation is an evolution over time. While the industry continues to make regulatory progress away from carbon-intensive practices over the long term, the development and utilisation of short-term solutions like Value Maritime’s Filtree solution, as well as many other technologies we have adopted, is as crucial as it is broadly applicable across all shipping sectors. The Filtree solution is exceptional in that it not only cleans and neutralises overboard discharge but also offers an additional benefit in the form of a potential carbon capture upgrade. This gives us flexibility today while economically future-proofing our vessels and creating commercial opportunities for us tomorrow.”
