News


Wet electrostatic precipitator keeps marine vessel emissions under control

June 2022 News

Valmet is introducing a new wet electrostatic precipitator for the marine industry to enhance emission control. The solution goes even further than the global regulations set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2020, as it allows harmful particulate matter to be removed from the exhaust gas flow.

“For years we have been developing solutions to help the marine industry reduce its emissions. The new wet electrostatic precipitator now enables our customers to reduce emissions from their fleet efficiently,” explains Timo Lamminen, product sales manager, Valmet.

Valmet claims to be the first supplier to introduce a hybrid scrubber to the market years ago, and to have brought the most effective wash-water treatment system to the market in 2021. The introduction of its Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) is a direct continuation on this development path of bringing marine solutions toward more sustainable ship transport.

WESP is used to control particulate matter emissions, such as black carbon. The system also captures heavy metals, acid mist, oil mist and visible plume. Its operation is based on a very strong electrical field between discharge electrodes and collecting tubes. The electrical field charges the particles in the exhaust gas flow, resulting in their migration away from the flow to the collecting tubes. The process is controlled fully automatically by Valmet DNA or other distributed control systems, and can utilise new Valmet Industrial Internet (VII) features. The WESP system for marine use is based on technology by Valmet’s partner, AWS Corporation.

Valmet recently tested a wet electrostatic precipitator and scrubber combination that was able to slash exhaust gas particulate matter and black carbon emissions in a marine diesel engine by up to 99%. The solution enables shipping companies to lower their particle matter and black carbon emission levels and tackle global warming. It also makes it possible to comply with tightening regulations and even reach the EURO 6 norm, which is the tightest regulation for road transportation in the European Union. The pilot testing and configuration project was carried out together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Until now, IMO’s regulations on air pollution have addressed mainly SOx and NOx emissions, but the awareness of particulate matter and black carbon emissions is growing due to their negative impact on global warming and human health. Whereas SOx scrubbers can reduce particulate matter and black carbon emissions with limited efficiency, a combination of a wet scrubber and a wet electrostatic precipitator, or a standalone wet electrostatic precipitator, can capture these emissions almost completely from a ship’s exhaust gas.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

John Thompson secures order for bagasse-fired boiler
News
John Thompson, a division of ACTOM, has secured an order for a 320 t/h bagasse-fired boiler for what is set to become the world’s largest greenfield sugar mill development in Indonesia.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: Consistently not stupid
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control) News
Over the years I’ve followed Charlie Munger. He’s considered to be one of the greatest investors and thinkers on decision making in the past century, and spent six decades as Warren Buffett’s business ...

Read more...
South Africa’s space balls
Editor's Choice News
South African engineers are preparing to take low-frequency radio astronomy to the Moon with three locally developed B.A.L.L.S. spheres aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission. This could pave the way for a 55-antenna lunar array and marks another step in the country’s growing space engineering capability.

Read more...
RS South Africa announces 2026 Student Project Fund winners
RS South Africa News
RS South Africa has awarded 13 engineering students with R10?000 worth of products each through its 2026 Student Project Fund, supporting projects spanning renewable energy, robotics, warehouse automation and STEM education.

Read more...
Certified gas meter module
News
Sensirion’s next-generation SGM5304 gas meter module has completed certification to the harmonised EN 17526 standard, simplifying MID approval and speeding customers’ route to market.

Read more...
Trafo Power Solutions expands market share
News
Trafo Power Solutions is expanding its market share in mining, industrial, infrastructure, data centre and renewable energy applications through technical expertise, application-specific engineering and responsive customer support.

Read more...
Engineering solutions to keep coal power plants viable in a renewables-driven grid
News
Steinmüller Africa showcased engineering solutions at Enlit Africa 2026 that let existing coal-fired power stations run efficiently at much lower loads, helping the grid absorb a growing share of variable renewable energy.

Read more...
Trafo Power Solutions returns to Electra Mining Africa
News
Trafo Power Solutions returns to Electra Mining Africa 2026 with a portfolio that has expanded well beyond dry-type transformers into fully engineered electrical power solutions for mining, industrial and infrastructure operations across Africa.

Read more...
SAIMC INSPIRE conference extends abstract submission deadline
SAIMC SAIMC News
Following requests from our sponsors, the SAIMC INSPIRE conference has officially extended the abstract submission deadline to 28 August 2026.

Read more...
Pomini Tenova and Siemens advance roll grinder technology
Siemens South Africa News
Pomini Tenova and Siemens strengthen their long-standing partnership to support the revamping and modernisation of roll grinders with advanced CNC and automation technology.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved