Charting a Greener Course: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Sets Sail in the Maritime Industry
In the fight against global warming, CCS appears to be an inevitable solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As CCS has recently gained in popularity on land, so too has the marine industry. Let’s discover the potential of CCS in general and in the marine industry by analyzing its challenges and opportunities.
Technologies linked to the mitigation of (CO2) emissions are classified as Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS) or simply Carbon Capture Storage (CCS). These technologies aim to separate the carbon dioxide originated through power generation and industrial production processes, treat it, and either use it or store it in long-term locations. Currently, there exist 3 main technologies known as: I) Post-combustion: Captures the carbon dioxide from flue gases after the combustion process. II)Pre-combustion: The fuel is converted into a gas mixture from (hydrogen and carbon dioxide) from which the CO2 is separated and converted into concentrated steam. III Oxy-fuel combustion: The fuel is burnt in a pure oxygen atmosphere, resulting in flue gas mainly composed of CO2 and steam, making carbon capture easier.
Despite global CCUS facilities having a relatively low capture capacity of around 43 million tons per annum (mtpa) 1 and facing important economic challenges such as capital-intensive long-live assets requirements, the number of CCUS projects under development has significantly increased to 244 mtpa. However, the vast majority of CCUS facilities are currently developed and operated onshore.
Given the maritime industry’s responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions (around 3% of world greenhouse gas emissions), it is legitimate to ask why the emergence of CCS projects in the shipping industry became prominent only in recent times.
The main reasons arise from the difficulties in implementing CCUS facilities onboard ships. Among the technologies listed above, the post-combustion method seems to be the most appropriate as the 2 others would need to be fully implemented into the vessel’s fuel supply and thus generate important costs. On ships, the post-combustion method can for example be done via the use of scrubbers, in which a solvent is used to capture the CO2. It can then be compressed, liquified, and stored, hence requiring more space within the ships and therefore increasing the weight as well as the fuel consumption. In addition, the challenges related to the economic sustainability of such projects have further slowed down the development of CCUS technologies on board.
Nevertheless, several projects have begun to take shape during the last 2 years. A few examples (non-exhaustive) include Mitsubishi shipping, which began to implement a CCS for vessels in 2021, expecting to reduce ships emissions by up to 90%. In 2022, Norwegian shipping company Solvang ASA signed an agreement with marine engine manufacturer Wärtsiläs for the retrofitting of a CCS system on a Solvang carrier, capturing up to 60% of carbon depending on engine load. In addition, the marine tech company Value Maritime installed on Visser Shipping’s container ship Nordica a CO2 capture module as well as a storage tank able to fill and discharge CO2 infinitely.
While CCUS projects face economic challenges, whether on land or aboard ships, they have become increasingly popular in recent years, demonstrating their importance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
1 Figures from Global CCS Institute. As of mid-September 2022
© Riverlake – 2023
