Scrubber

Regulation on the Prohibition of Discharge of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Water from Ships’ Sulphur Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems into the Sea.

Please note that the description of the scrubber regulation below is for informational purposes only. In the event of discrepancies between this text and the formal Danish regulation text, the Danish regulation on the following link applies: https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/539

From the 1st of July 2025 it is prohibited to discharge exhaust gas cleaning water into the sea within Danish territorial waters from ships using an open-loop sulphur exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS), including a hybrid EGCS when operating in open-loop mode. 

From the 1st of July 2029 it is also prohibited to discharge exhaust gas cleaning water from ships using a closed-loop sulphur EGCS, including from a hybrid ECGS when operating in closed-loop mode, the so-called “bleed-off water”, into the sea within Danish territorial waters.

Scope of application

The regulation applies to ships located within Danish territorial waters. Therefore, it also applies to ships in transit through territorial waters without calling at Danish ports.

The regulation does not apply to warships or other ships owned or operated by a state, provided that the ship is used exclusively for non-commercial government service.

The regulation concerning the prohibition of discharges of exhaust gas cleaning water and bleed-off water does not apply to discharges of exhaust gas cleaning water in connection with:

  1. testing related to the repair, maintenance, or installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems when the ship is in a shipyard,
  2. ensuring the safety of a ship or the protection of human life at sea, or
  3. damage to the ship or its equipment or unavoidable leakage, provided that, after the damage or leakage is discovered, all reasonable precautions are taken to avoid or minimize the discharge and immediate measures are taken to repair the damage, unless the owner, operator, or master of the ship, or others performing work on behalf of the ship, have acted intentionally or ought to have foreseen the damage.

Waivers

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency may grant a temporary waiver from the prohibitions. A waiver may be granted in cases where the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, based on case-by-case assessment, determines that there are exceptional circumstances, such as in connection with a research or development project, where it is deemed necessary to discharge exhaust gas cleaning water for a limited period of time, and where the associated environmental risk is considered to be of no significant nature.