The Government bans scrubbers

On 27 June, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson (KD) announced in Almedalen that the government is going ahead with a ban on so-called scrubbers.

The announcement is very welcome for us in Soya Group and Wallenius shipping businesses, it is an issue we have been strongly engaged in,” says Helene Samuelsson, VP Communications, Soya Group. “But above all, it is a good message for the marine environment and not least the sensitive Baltic Sea.

Reducing emissions in the air by moving pollution to the sea is not a sustainable solution. Scrubber technology reduces sulphur emissions from ships’ funnels, but heavily polluted, acidified and toxic wash water is released into the sea instead. In practice, the ships’ funnels are turned upside down, so that most of the hazardous substances and particles in the exhaust gases are washed straight into the sea.

Wallenius and Soya Group have pushed the issue of a ban, together with several other actors; shipping companies and marine researchers and others in various ways, most recently in a debate article in Altinget on 13 June.

Both the previous and current governments have received several research reports and investigations that have concluded that the discharge of scrubber water is a significant environmental problem and on 27 June 2024, Andreas Carlsson (KD) presented the long-awaited news that the government is now moving forward with a ban in Swedish waters.

Read more about what the government says about the ban on ship scrubbers. (in Swedish only)