Friday, September 25, 2009
MPA awards EcoSpec S$2m in funding
Singapore: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), through its Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund, is providing S$2 million to Ecospec Global Technology to co-fund a project for the test-bedding and type approval of CSNOx technology to reduce greenhouse gas and exhaust pollutants from ship emissions.
If successful tested and type approved under IMO requirements, CSNOx could potentially contribute to global efforts in reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
Chew Hwee Hong, md and founder of Ecospec said, “We are delighted to receive S$2 million co-funding from MPA under its MINT Fund programme to conduct test-bedding of CSNOx onboard a ship. The funding helps support a priceless opportunity for a ‘completely developed in Singapore’ breakthrough technology to penetrate the global maritime industry. Ecospec shares the same aim as MPA, which is to enable the maritime industry to go green via commercially-viable marine emission-reduction technology.”
The CSNOx test-bedding project is supported under the $100 million MINT Fund set up in 2003 to support research, development and test-bedding of maritime technologies by universities, research institutes and companies in Singapore. Two of the research and development areas under the MINT Fund are ‘clean energy’ and ‘environment technology’. The co-funding for the CSNOx test-bedding project comes under these areas.
According to Ecospec, the CSNOx TM system not only reduces carbon dioxide (CO 2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted by ships, but achieves all these in one process and in a single system. The scrubbing by CSNOx is also achieved at a net carbon reduction, without acidifying the ocean, and with no other secondary pollutants or harmful substances discharged into the sea. CSNOx is said to be the first solution to remove CO2 in a cost effective manner and also has the potential for land-based applications, such as in incinerators, power plants and refineries.
In June and July 2009, Ecospec received Product Design Assessment and Product Type Approval respectively for its ULFELS Generator ULF01, the alkaline water-generating unit that is the main component of CSNOx from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Together with an appropriately designed abator tower, the CSNOx scrubber system will now undergo ship board testing for subsequent type approval in accordance with IMO requirements. [24/09/09]
