April 21, 2021

Emanuele Grimaldi just won’t admit defeat. The Italian shipowner is still advocating for scrubbers. This is in spite of a horrendous year for the exhaust gas cleaning technology. Throughout 2020, the scrubber industry faced numerous failures and setbacks. From the start, scrubber users complained of lengthy installations and unexpected repairs. For many, it wouldn’t even be worth the trouble. Amid the pandemic, the price gap between high-sulphur fuel oil and very low-sulphur fuel oil dwindled to record breaking levels. As a result, the opportunity for scrubber users to recoup their costly investment never materialized. Meanwhile, questions about the danger of scrubbers continued to grow. In study after study, researchers warned that scrubber discharge could negatively impact marine environments. Still, Grimaldi wasn’t swayed.

‍

Even to this day, Grimaldi maintains that scrubbers are our best option. Choosing to ignore the overwhelming evidence, Grimaldi continues to perpetuate a false narrative that scrubbers are not only safe but good for the environment. He is completely blind to the truth. At best, scrubbers reduce a small amount of air pollution but that comes at a grave cost to our oceans.

‍

The reality is that Grimaldi has millions of reasons to advocate for scrubbers and they are all sitting at the bank. Grimaldi’s investment in scrubbers is too big to fail. He can’t seem to bear the thought of losing it when the scrubber market collapses once and for all. That is why he is clinging to the notion that scrubbers are good and is desperate to convince others. Misery loves company.

‍

We won’t be fooled. The idea that scrubbers are our best solution is laughable and its hypocritical for Grimaldi to continue to make such claims. Grimaldi’s greed has already cost him immensely. Let’s not let his selfishness do any further damage to our oceans.

‍

Grimaldi sticks to scrubbers despite record low fuel prices in 2020 (shippingwatch.com) by Daniel Logan

‍