Ua “world first” that could well revolutionize maritime transport. In Marseille, the French company La Méridionale is launching a ferry guaranteed to be particle-free, which is a promising innovation in a sector weighed down by its carbon footprint. On the pianothe flagship of La Méridionale operating between Corsica and Marseille, all the engines are now equipped with innovative filters, funny “socks” in metal cylinders, which neutralize part of the polluting emissions.
Not only does this particulate filter (Fap) presented on Monday September 5, after three years of tests, capture 99% of sulfur oxides – in accordance with the legislation –, but it also eliminates 99.9% of fine and ultrafine particles, more dangerous to human health.
“They go much further than what is required by the regulations, by treating all particle emissions”, assures Agence France-Presse Damien Piga, innovation director of the regional air quality monitoring body. Atmosud, who adds that he “never knew of such projects”, even through his collaborations in Europe and Asia.
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“World’s first zero-particle ship”
“It’s an unprecedented solution, a world first”, asserted Marc Reverchon, president of the company, on board the piano, on which is written in large letters “the world’s first zero-particle ship”. “Until now, to reduce the level of sulfur oxide in the fuel, it was necessary either to have a less polluting fuel, or a “scrubber” (system) which consists in “washing” the fumes with water from sea”, emphasizes Damien Piga of Atmosud.
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Scrubbers, placed in the chimneys of ships, are disputed because most shipowners are equipped with them opt for an open circuit, with discharge of pollutants into the sea.
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A pioneer in environmental matters, La Méridionale, which transports freight and passengers to Corsica or Morocco, already connected all its ships electrically in Marseille, “but that only concerned part of the operation of the ships, when they are at the quay” , explains Marc Reverchon, when 80% of emissions are made at sea.
A source of inspiration for “cruise passengers”?
With the new filter, no more smoke comes out of the piano, along its entire path. Its process has already been proven on land, for a long time, in thermal power stations for example: sodium bicarbonate injected at the engine outlet will react chemically on the particles present in the exhaust gases, then end up in a filter composed of bags, on which it will settle and capture particles and heavy metals.
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“They have ‘marinized’ a ground installation which has proven its worth”, estimated with Agence France-Presse Guillaume Picard, ex-commander and chief mechanic, activist of the environmental collective Stop cruises. “The IMO does not impose anything in terms of fine particles, so just for that we can take our hats off to them”, concludes the activist.
In terms of regulations, moreover, Marc Reverchon is proud to have taken quite a head start, since “the piano is already compliant with the standards which will come into force in 2025″, in particular on the sulfur content of marine fuels which will be limited to 0.1% in the Mediterranean. The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, Renaud Muselier, who contributed 40% to the financing of the filter, estimated that this initiative of a small company could inspire “the big ones”, the “cruise passengers “: “They won’t have any more passengers on board if they don’t make this change. »
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Nitrogen oxide emissions also in La Méridionale’s sights
This summer, the black smoke from cruise ships, many in the port of Marseille, angered local residents, and even the mayor of the city Benoît Payan, who challenged the State and the IMO.
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Activist Guillaume Picard has only one question: what will become of the waste produced by the new filter, tons of residue? La Méridionale’s response: the chemical company Solvay, which delivers the sodium bicarbonate, recovers the residue and bury it. But according to Mr. Seguinot, technical director “they are working on recycling the residue, in particular the bicarbonate which has not reacted”.
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La Méridionale is also working to drastically reduce its nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which constitute significant air pollution, with the installation, on the “socks” of the Fap filter, of a catalytic system, for truly “zero emission” ferries. Overall, air pollution causes 9 million deaths each year worldwide and its annual economic impact for France is around 100 billion euros, mainly in health expenditure, according to Atmosud.