Canadian shipowner Algoma Central Corporation says its exhaust gas scrubbing systems have received all requisite approvals, and will help vessels meet standards laid out in Canadian, U.S. and International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations.

The company said that the systems, manufactured by Wärtsilä Corporation, are designed to remove 97 percent of sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions using a closed loop system.

The systems will eventually be installed on all eight ships in the Equinox-class fleet, with the company and Wärtsilä having begun testing the system aboard the Algoma Equinox early September 2014.

"We are extremely pleased to have the first unit commissioned and approved for use," said Greg Wight, president and CEO of Algoma.

"Equinox Class ships are not only the most fuel efficient ships operating on the Great Lakes, they are now the cleanest."

The ships are designed to have highly efficient hulls, in addition to being 45 percent more fuel efficient than Algoma's current fleet.

"Equinox class vessels are helping us to achieve our strategic objective to improve the energy efficiency of our fleet and now also to significantly reduce our environmental footprint through the use of these scrubbers," Mira Hube, Algoma's director of environment.

Three of the vessels are expected to be delivered by the end of the year, with the remaining to be delivered over the next two years.

Algoma launched the first ship in the Equinox fleet in China two years ago.