Damen has become the first shipyard to achieve official EU Stage V certification for its in-house developed emissions reduction system. With many Damen vessels operating in harbours and waterways that are close to or within urban areas, the group recognised that it had an obligation to develop an emission reduction system to address the health issues present by the particulate matter emitted by diesel engines as well as the environmental impacts resulting from excess nitrogen oxides.

The Damen Emission Reduction System (ERS) is a one-system-solution that combines soot filters with a selective catalytic reduction system to remove particulate matter (measured by both mass and the number of particles, the latter to ensure that the fine particles are reduced as well) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) as they leave the engine and before they enter the atmosphere. It also delivers substantial noise reduction that averages 45 dB(A). With this achievement, Damen can now offer its clients a proven emission reduction system that meet the requirements of the IMO Tier III, ULEV and EU stage V regulations.

The Damen ERS is a standard, proven product that is robust and reliable. It is designed for both primary and auxiliary engines generating between 300 and 700 kW of output. Sea-going vessels equipped with the proven product are eligible for obtaining the Ultra Low Emission Vessel classification notation. The development of the EU Stage V system began in 2017, following Damen achieving certification for its NOx reduction system to comply with IMO Tier III emissions regulations.

“It has taken six years to reach this point, but our ERS goes beyond the parameters set by the regulators to ensure that they are robust and flexible,” says Raymond Watson, Technology Specialist Aftertreatment Systems at Damen. “For example, they are designed to work with all standard fuels to ensure worldwide operability, and their modular design means that they can be installed on all types of vessel, matched to the specific operating profile of each.”

To achieve certification, Damen partnered with Bureau Veritas. The two organisations have been partners for many years and share the ambition of making the maritime industry more sustainable. Rik de Petter, Marine & Offshore Chief Executive Belgium & Luxembourg at Bureau Veritas, said: “We were very pleased to be working with Damen on this challenging project. We went through a challenging learning curve ­ and the result is a milestone in certification as there are very few certified Stage V compliant systems at present. It places both organisations at the forefront of maritime emissions reduction.”

Damen is currently working on the certification of the ERS for multiple propulsion trains with outputs up to more than 4000 kW, and all will be available soon as IMO Tier III, ULEV and EU stage V certified systems for both new build and retrofit vessels.