Incinerator
A shipboard Incinerator burns waste generated on board — oily sludge and waste oil from the purifiers and engines, and permitted solid garbage — reducing the volume that must be stored and landed ashore. It has a combustion chamber, a waste-oil burner and controls to keep combustion within limits.
What may be incinerated, and the emissions allowed, are controlled under MARPOL Annex VI; certain materials such as some plastics and cargo residues may not be burned, and incineration is prohibited in some areas and in port. Ash and residues are landed as waste.
Ships generate oily sludge and garbage that would otherwise fill up storage and cost money to land ashore; the incinerator reduces that burden. But it must be operated within MARPOL air-emission rules and the garbage regulations, so what is burned and where is a compliance matter, not just an operational convenience.
What can and cannot be incinerated on a ship?
Oily sludge and much solid garbage may be incinerated within limits; prohibited items include certain plastics, cargo residues and some hazardous materials. Incineration is also banned in ports and some special areas.