DNV and PSE found ways to store and capture CO2 on board ships

Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a leading classification society, and Process Systems Enterprise Ltd. (PSE), a global provider of advanced process modelling technology, recently have released the results of the Maritime CCS (carbon capture and storage) research and development project.

The project has successfully developed a concept design for on-board chemical CO₂ capture. The system consists of a chemical absorption plant that separates CO₂ from flue gases, a liquefaction unit where the captured CO₂ is compressed and condensed using a refrigerant and two storage tanks where the liquid CO₂ product is temporarily stored until discharge into transmission and storage infrastructures at the next suitable port. The results show that the concept is technically feasible and capable of reducing ship CO₂ emissions by up to 65%. For a VLCC tanker, this could correspond to capturing more than 70,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, transforming them from emissions to a tradable product.

 

“In response to more stringent environmental regulations and complex market conditions, we see an increased demand for innovative solutions towards higher efficiency and greener operations,” says Dr. Nikolaos Kakalis, Head of DNV Research & Innovation Greece. “Our R&D activities, such as the carbon capture initiative which is completely new in the field of maritime transportation, pave the future towards next-generation solutions for achieving more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable maritime transportation”.

Prof. Costas Pantelides, Managing Director of PSE, says “This has been a challenging design problem with tight constraints. Applying a model-based engineering approach has been key to exploring the process decision space rapidly and effectively, and developing technically feasible and economically viable solutions.”

"Location of the carbon capture process on a typical vessel. The capture process is aft and the CO₂ storage tanks are in front of the superstructure"

Maritime CO₂ emissions are estimated at over 1000 million tonnes per year, or 3% of total emissions, and are expected to reach 2000 to 3000m tonnes by 2050. The UK government has included maritime emissions in the reduction targets set by the Climate Change Bill, and the International Maritime Organisation is expected to drive a reduction in emissions from international shipping. Because ship emissions are concentrated – unlike other forms of transport – the potential to capture CO₂ at source has been the key focus of the project.

The Maritime CCS project was jointly financed by the two partners, the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and the Research Council of Norway under the EUROSTARS initiative. The project took into account the unique challenges posed by the maritime environment – constant movement, limited space and access to utilities, stringent safety requirements and the need for energy efficiency.