Green Tech Marine’s new compact exhaust gas scrubber (GTM R15) has successfully been installed onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas, while the ship was in continuous service, according to Green Tech Marine. The compact design required no extra space as the scrubber replaced the ship’s exhaust silencer.

The Norwegian company and Royal Caribbean launched the pilot test to see if the new technology was a viable solution to increasing emissions restrictions.

Beyond the efficient removal of SOx and other particles, the GTM R15 claims to provide a number of advantages over other scrubbers, such as its minimal footprint requirement and low weight. It is also energy efficient, requiring virtually no external chemicals and allowing for installation during operation.

Installation was completed in four months.  Initial testing has been undertaken with the system in full-scale operation and the engine running from 2 to 12.4 MW. The scrubber has produced successful results in both open loop and closed loop using seawater.

A preliminary scrubber test was performed shore side in Norway for 11 months. After several visits to analyze the scrubber’s performance, Royal Caribbean committed to a pilot test.

“The small size and low weight of the scrubber got our attention,” said Anders Aasen, associate vice president, global marine technical services at Royal Caribbean, in a prepared statement. “When we saw the initial performance results, we were convinced to launch a full scale trial.”

Over the next 4-6 months Green Tech will continue to test the GTM R15 onboard Liberty of the Seas to demonstrate that the scrubber can be operated continuously over a sustained period of time and maintain the same positive results as the initial tests achieved.  Green Tech Marine is currently working closely together with DNV in order to receive type approval for the GTM R15 under the applicable International Maritime Organization requirements.