Naalakkersuisut should introduce a ban on the discharge of scrubber water – also called flue gas water from ships in Greenland’s territorial waters.
That’s what Demokraatit’s Justus Hansen thinks, who has asked a question resolution proposal which the members of Inatsisartut must decide on on Tuesday 9 June.
Naalakkersuisut should introduce a ban on the discharge of scrubber water – also called flue gas water from ships in Greenland’s territorial waters.
That’s what Demokraatit’s Justus Hansen thinks, who has asked a question resolution proposal which the members of Inatsisartut must decide on on Tuesday 9 June.
Heavy metals accumulate in the marine environment
Today, ships using heavy bunker oil can reduce their air pollution by using a scrubber plant that cleans the flue gas by passing the flue gas through water. But then the flue gas water is discharged directly and untreated into the sea.
Flue gas water contains, among other things, heavy metals and tar substances, which can accumulate in the marine environment and in fish and shellfish, thus posing a risk to human health. In addition, ships with scrubbers emit much more harmful air pollution than ships using the cleaner fuels. Finally, spillage of heavy bunker oil can cause long-term damage to nature and fisheries.
A special responsibility in the Arctic
“We here at home have a special responsibility to protect the Arctic environment, which is very vulnerable to pollution. At the same time, climate change is particularly noticeable in the Arctic, and it is therefore important that we take the lead”, writes Demokraatit in their proposal.
Last year Royal Arctic Line voluntarily stopped using heavy bunker oil and thus also discharging waste water from scrubbers.
Denmark, Sweden and Finland already have a ban on the discharge of scrubber water in their territorial waters, which has forced ships to use cleaner fuels and thereby minimize pollution of the sea and air.
Natural extension of RAL’s change of strategy
Senior advisor in Green Global Future, engineer and PhD, Kåre Press-Kristensen, sees the proposal for a ban on the discharge of scrubber water as completely obvious in Greenland.
– I am actually quite proud that Greenland has come on board and has overtaken Iceland and a number of other Nordic countries on this front – if the proposal is adopted. It is a natural extension of Royal Arctic Line dropping heavy bunker oil and scrubbers a year ago.
– It is really good that it is on the program in Greenland to protect your marine resources – and thereby your exports – against pollution. And it will cost almost nothing for Greenland, they say Dear Press Kristensen.
– It was me who took the initiative for a similar ban in Denmark, and here the ban has had no effect whatsoever on the shipping industry – we actually get even more cruise ships than before the ban – the ships just use cleaner fuels so they don’t pollute the sea and at the same time emit much less air pollution.
according to the proposal, the ban should enter into force no later than 1 January 2027.
