HON JAMES L OBERSTAR

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US shipowner Interlake to install scrubbers on Great Lakes vessel

US shipowner Interlake Steamship will install exhaust gas scrubber systems on a bulk carrier it operates in the Great Lakes, scrubber manufacturer Belco Technologies said. The vessel M/V Honorable James L. Oberstar will this month have two scrubbers installed in Wisconsin, with testing to follow in April, Belco said Monday. Belco is a division of DuPont. Emission Control Areas are 200-mile zones extending from US and other shores in which ships must use fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1% from January 1, down from 1% previously, according to International Maritime Organization regulation. However, vessels can apply for exemptions if they find alternative means of compliance, such as scrubbers, which strip sulfur out of emissions. Interlake President Mark Barker said the scrubbers will allow it to comply with the sulfur requirements “while continuing to operate its vessels on heavy fuel oil,” according to a statement.