JUNE 12, 2013 — Nils Høy-Petersen, CEO of Clean Marine AS, Oslo, Norway, says contracts from shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries to supply Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) for two new shuttle tankers being built for AET are "a milestone for the company."

The order will enable the new AET vessels to comply with future legislation relating to sulfur emissions without switching to more expensive fuels.

According to Mr. Høy-Petersen, the contracts signal a growing market demand for Clean Marine's unique and competitive multi-stream EGCS solution. "We are very pleased to be working closely with Samsung and AET to deliver a cost-effective solution to help the owner comply with existing and pending emissions regulations," he says.

AET, which has a fleet of 83 tankers, has entered into a long-term contract with Statoil to operate the two specialized DP2-type shuttle tankers. The two vessels will serve oilfields in the Norwegian sector of the North/Barents Sea. To operate successfully in these harsh environments, the two twin-skeg 120,000 DWT tankers will be constructed to a superior specification that exceeds any other DP shuttle tanker currently in operation. The tankers will be fully adapted to operations in adverse weather conditions and will be equipped with high power thrusters and engines.

The Clean Marine EGCS is based on Advanced Vortex Chamber technology that provides unique particulate matter trapping efficiency. The system's integrated fan and gas recirculation technology allows the one EGCS unit to simultaneously serve several combustion units – an important feature for vessels with many exhaust sources.

"For vessels sailing in European waters and other emission control areas (ECAs), a maximum sulfur limit of 0.1 percent will apply from 2015," says Høy-Petersen. "The Clean Marine system supplied to AET will clean both sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter emissions from two main engines, five auxiliary engines, and three boilers. In total, a single Clean Marine EGCS unit will manage 10 exhaust sources."

Installation of the EGCS units is scheduled to take place during 2013 and 2014, and Samsung will deliver the first state-of-the-art tankers at the end of 2014 and the second at the beginning of 2015.