WITH the widening of the price gap between low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO), almost 30 per cent of the global containership fleet capacity is now equipped with scrubber technology, according to an Alphaliner survey.
The consultant said the number of container vessels fitted with scrubbers increased by 150 last year, to 850 ships for 7.52 million TEU of capacity, with MSC continuing to lead the pack with nearly half its 640-strong fleet able to bunker with the cheaper HFO, reports London's Loadstar.
By comparison, Maersk, now the equal top-ranked carrier with its 2M partner, has 35 per cent of its 736-vessel fleet capacity scrubber-fitted.
Other scrubber advocates include Evergreen, with 69 per cent of 204 ships (1.48 million TEU capacity), and HMM with 83 per cent of a fleet of just 75 vessels (820,000 TEU) fitted out with an exhaust gas cleaning system.
At the other end of the scale, Japanese carrier ONE has scrubbers installed on just 18 per cent of its 210-ship, 1.54 million TEU, fleet and Hapag-Lloyd, a long-time sceptic, has 17 per cent of its 252-ship, 1.75 million TEU, fleet equipped with scrubbers.
According to Ship & Bunker's G20 index, which tracks the average bunker price at 20 major ports, the average price for LSFO leapt 46 per cent last year, to US$544 per tonne, and although HFO prices rose 53 per cent, to $433 per tonne, the spread between the two fuels widened by 92 per cent over the year.
SeaNews Turkey
The consultant said the number of container vessels fitted with scrubbers increased by 150 last year, to 850 ships for 7.52 million TEU of capacity, with MSC continuing to lead the pack with nearly half its 640-strong fleet able to bunker with the cheaper HFO, reports London's Loadstar.
By comparison, Maersk, now the equal top-ranked carrier with its 2M partner, has 35 per cent of its 736-vessel fleet capacity scrubber-fitted.
Other scrubber advocates include Evergreen, with 69 per cent of 204 ships (1.48 million TEU capacity), and HMM with 83 per cent of a fleet of just 75 vessels (820,000 TEU) fitted out with an exhaust gas cleaning system.
At the other end of the scale, Japanese carrier ONE has scrubbers installed on just 18 per cent of its 210-ship, 1.54 million TEU, fleet and Hapag-Lloyd, a long-time sceptic, has 17 per cent of its 252-ship, 1.75 million TEU, fleet equipped with scrubbers.
According to Ship & Bunker's G20 index, which tracks the average bunker price at 20 major ports, the average price for LSFO leapt 46 per cent last year, to US$544 per tonne, and although HFO prices rose 53 per cent, to $433 per tonne, the spread between the two fuels widened by 92 per cent over the year.
SeaNews Turkey