Maritime engineering specialist Scanunit has carried out what it believes is the world’s first replacement and decontamination of a PFAS/PFOS1 foam firefighting system on a commercial vessel. Aurora, a 1992-built ferry operated by EQT-owned Öresundslinjen(a subsidiary of Molslinjen), was the vessel concerned and the work was carried out over the weekend of January 27th/28th.
An IMO resolution2 adopted in will see the phase-out of foam firefighting systems that use fluorinated foams containing perfluoro-octane sulfonic acid(PFOS) as the foam-producing component. Because of their negative impact on human health and the environment. The longevity of these chemicals has resulted in them being dubbed ‘Forever Chemicals’.
Work on Aurora involved the removal of some 200 litres of AFFF foam containing PFAS/PFOS followed by decontamination of the tanks, 200 metres of pipelines and 52 spray nozzles of the ship’s firefighting system.
The decontamination was performed by Scanunit using Sani A supplied by LifeClean a specialist chemical provider based in Sweden. Decontamination and cleaning of the system produced 2,200 litres of wastewater which was removed by waste disposal contractor Fortum.
Emptying the system of the PFAS foam began at 22:30 on Saturday and the system was able to be refilled with a fresh supply of fluorine-free foam concentrate by 06:00 on Sunday.
Testing of the system after the changeover showed it was now far below the ECHA and EPA restriction of 1 ppm The test carried out by Eurofins laboratory analysts on the Aurora sample returned a result of just 4,400ng/l or 0.0044ppm.
This collaboration between Scanunit, Life-Clean, Johnson Control, and Fortum Waste Solutions underscores a collective commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation in the maritime industry. The successful project not only meets the impending regulatory requirements but also sets a new standard for the industry's approach to environmental safety and sustainability.