Shipowners are facing mounting scrutiny over scrubber technology, which while curbing sulphur oxides in the air, discharges harmful contaminants into the sea. Cyprus, like several other European countries, has already moved to restrict their use in its port waters.
According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) , sulphur emission control areas (SECAs) require ships to burn fuel with no more than 0.1 per cent sulphur.
The Mediterranean SOx ECA came
