Hudson Shipping Lines Hardens Its Anti-Scrubber Stance
Hudson Shipping Lines has stated its stance against scrubber systems and agreed to provide support to the Environmental Protection Alliance (EPA) and its campaign to ban the use of scrubber systems in the shipping industry.
Hudson has previously announced its intentions to not utilize vessels with open or closed loop exhaust scrubbers installed following the implementation of the IMO2020 sulfur cap on January 1, 2020. Hudson says it is disappointed in its peers who have chosen to use the scrubber loophole and will continue burning high sulfur fuel oil (HSFO). Hudson notes that estimates indicate that about 15 percent of the world’s shipping fleet will be equipped with scrubbers.
“With mounting scientific evidence of the environmental harm caused by scrubber systems dumping their toxic waste products into the marine environment and releasing chemicals that are harmful to human health into the air, Hudson is committed to ending the use of scrubber systems,” said the company in a statement. “The energy and efforts of the EPA in fighting the use of scrubbers have already attracted attention in the mainstream media and within the shipping community and Hudson will be providing the EPA with commercial, operational and technical advice and support.”
Hudson’s president Avi Eilon said: “The spirit of the IMO’s sulfur rules are clear, HSFO has a profoundly negative affect on our environment and should no longer be used by the shipping industry. The current regulations allow vessels with scrubber systems to dump heavy metals and other chemicals into our oceans. This is simply transferring the pollution that was emitted by funnels to toxic wastewater being discharged into the ocean.”
In addition to its commitment to support the EPA, Hudson will be withdrawing its membership from the Trident Alliance due to the organization’s incompatible views with Hudson on the enforcement of the IMO rules. The Trident Alliance is a network of shipping companies and other stakeholders with a shared interest in the effective, transparent enforcement of the global sulfur regulations. Hudson joined the Trident Alliance earlier this month.
“Hudson was disappointed to find that within days of Hudson’s membership into the Alliance the Trident Alliance sought to immediately stifle Hudson’s stance against scrubber systems,” said company representative Benjamin Malkin. “We had hoped to join an organization with a true commitment to taking action on environmental issues. Hudson takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is eager to pursue substantive action surrounding enforcement of IMO2020 sulfur regulations and other environmental issues as part of Hudson’s ongoing Green Initiative.”
Founded in 1972, and part of the Seatrade group since 1993, Hudson is a supply chain management company with an integrated global shipping portfolio utilizing some 70 dry bulk carriers. Hudson has offices in Australia, the Bahamas, Bulgaria, China, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam.