The ordering and installation of scrubbers will continue far beyond Jan. 1, 2020 when the global sulfur regulations come into force, says Norwegian bank DNB in a new analysis of the scrubber market, one of the most hotly debated issues in the shipping sector in 2018.

The surging interest in scrubbers over the course of the year has rubbed off on demand, which during 2018 has been constantly increasing, while several shipowners are still weighing whether scrubbers could be the solution to their challenges in terms of ensuring compliance with the IMO sulfur cap.