Denmark, Sweden, and Finland have begun enforcing a ban on open-loop scrubber discharges in their waters. File Image / Pixabay

Denmark, Sweden and Finland have officially enforced a ban on discharges from open-loop scrubbers in their territorial waters, with the rules coming into effect on July 1.

Denmark was the first to announce the move in April 2024, with Sweden and Finland following suit in the months after.

The ban is part of a phased approach that will see all scrubber discharges, including from closed-loop systems, prohibited by 2029.

Elsewhere in Europe, similar restrictions are gaining ground. The Port of Amsterdam has already banned open-loop discharges.

Ship & Bunker reported last week that washwater from open-loop and hybrid scrubbers is set to be banned at ports and inland waters in the North-East Atlantic region from mid-2027.

The scrubber industry continues to push back against such bans, arguing they are not supported by science.

A 2021 study funded by the scrubber industry claimed scrubber washwater poses no toxic threat to fish and only minor, short-lived effects on algae and crustaceans, even at elevated concentrations.

The report described the overall environmental risk as acceptable.