Value Maritime Installs First Filtree System for Ardmore Shipping

Value Maritime announced it has completed the first in a series of nine installations of its emissions reducing Filtree systems for product and chemical tanker company Ardmore Shipping Corporation.

Taking place in China, this was the first time that Value Maritime has installed its system outside of Europe. The Ardmore Seaventure is also the first Ardmore vessel now fully equipped with Value Maritime’s Filtree system. The remaining installations for Ardmore Shipping are scheduled to take place in China over the next nine months.

The plug-and-play modular Filtree system will allow for the filtration of sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide (on further upgrade) and 99% of ultra-fine particulate matter from Ardmore’s vessels. As a result, Ardmore can continue to sail with high sulphur fuel oil while simultaneously reducing emissions.

The system features a Clean Loop mechanism that filters its own wash water. This removes oil residues and particulate matter and neutralizes the pH value of the discharge water.

Each of the nine installations on the Ardmore tankers will be carbon capture ready to further reduce emissions. With this, the CO2 from the vessel’s exhaust can be captured and stored in onboard tanks for onshore discharge later. The captured CO2 may then be used in a sustainable manner, for example, in the agricultural and food industries.

Yvette van der Sommen, Commercial Director, Value Maritime, said, “We’re really pleased to have successfully completed the first in this series of installations for Ardmore. This represents a milestone moment for Value Maritime as the Filtree system makes its debut outside of Europe. We’re very proud to see this expansion, which is an indication of the relevance the system has in helping vessel operators to reduce their emissions.”

Anthony Gurnee, CEO of Ardmore, said, “At Ardmore, our approach to the energy transition is underpinned by the mindset that shipping’s progress towards decarbonization is an evolution over time. While the industry continues to make regulatory progress away from carbon-intensive practices over the long term, the development and utilization of short-term solutions like Value Maritime’s Filtree solution, as well as many other technologies we have adopted, is as crucial as it is broadly applicable across all shipping sectors. The Filtree solution is exceptional in that it not only cleans and neutralizes overboard discharge but also offers an additional benefit in the form of a potential carbon capture upgrade. This gives us flexibility today while economically future-proofing our vessels and creating commercial opportunities for us tomorrow.”

This facilitation of carbon capture and storage comes at an opportune moment. The Value Group (Value Maritime and Value Carbon) recently announced that Shell Ventures had joined its investor board to accelerate and expand Value Group’s carbon capture utilisation and storage strategy.