ABS: Advances Shipboard Carbon Capture Project
Shipboard carbon capture is one of the latest solutions being explored by the global shipping industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A new project aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of carbon capture onboard a tanker is advancing to its next phase.
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has granted an Approval in Principle (AIP) for the project, led by a consortium of seven members. These include the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), ABS, Stena Bulk, Alfa Laval, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), and Deltamarin.
The two-year, three-phase demonstration project, called Project REMARCCABLE (Realizing Maritime Carbon Capture to Demonstrate the Ability to Lower Emissions), is currently one of the largest shipboard carbon capture initiatives. Its ultimate goal is to demonstrate carbon capture onboard a Stena Bulk Medium-Range (MR) IMOIIMAXX tanker, targeting an absolute 30% capture rate of CO2 emissions during standard operations and deep-sea voyages.
The first phase of the project focused on conceptual design and front-end engineering analysis of the carbon capture system. The second phase will involve engineering, procurement, and construction of a prototype system, followed by onshore commissioning. In the final phase, the system will be integrated into the Stena Bulk tanker for sea trials.
The AIP from ABS allows the consortium to proceed with the next stage, which includes detailed engineering, procurement, and construction. After a full engineering review, the carbon capture system will be built and tested before being installed on the MR tanker for sea trials. A thorough stage-gate review process will be conducted at each phase transition.
The consortium believes the onboard carbon capture system could accelerate the commercial deployment of shipboard carbon capture technology within the next five years.
Additionally, the Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (formed in 2021 by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and six founding partners: BHP, BW, DNV Foundation, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Ocean Network Express, and Sembcorp Marine) plans to launch a study on offloading liquid CO2 to address potential challenges, informing the project's third phase.
The global shipping industry is exploring various solutions, including low-carbon fuels and carbon capture, to meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) target of reducing the industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050, compared to 2008 levels.
Recently, the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä announced its first order for carbon capture and storage-ready scrubber systems for four 8,200 TEU container ships under construction in Asia, with delivery to the shipyard expected in 2023.
