GCMD awards LCO2 study onboard ships to LR

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has awarded its concept study on offloading liquefied CO2 (LCO2) captured onboard ships to Lloyd’s Register, supported by their partner Arup.

The Singapore-based GCMD concept study will address safety and operational considerations surrounding offloading of LCO2 that has been captured onboard tankers, bulkers and container liners, including articulating the temperatures and pressures under which this process would optimally take place and the different receptacles to be used for this purpose. The outcome of the study can also provide insights for off-loading CO2 as a cargo under currently less-established operating and storage conditions.

Currently, there are no guidelines for offloading captured CO2. The findings of the study will form a basis to enable sea trials in Phase 3 of Project REMARCCABLE (Realising Maritime Carbon Capture to demonstrate the Ability to Lower Emissions). One of the world’s largest end-to-end demonstrations of shipboard CO2 capture at scale, Project REMARCCABLE is a 500-hour pilot that will be using non-proprietary amine-based solution, aiming to demonstrate 30% annual CO2 emissions reduction or 1,300 kg/hr of CO2, store 375 metric tonnes of LCO2 onboard, and offload LCO2 after 10 days of sailing.

A broader intent of this LCO2 offloading concept study is to assess the readiness of current infrastructure for LCO2 offloading. Scenario-based CAPEX and OPEX models for LCO2 offloading infrastructure buildout and operation costs will be generated. Additionally, a review of existing gaps in analytical methods, verification procedures, competency standards, and regulation regimes that are needed to enable LCO2 offloading at major ports will be conducted.

GCMD aims to validate and finalise the study’s findings with industry stakeholders, such as port and terminal operators, vessel owners, and shipyards. Through this concept study, GCMD will help support the establishment of regulatory and operational guidelines and help set a precedence for future piloting and demonstration projects related to shipboard carbon capture technologies at scale. With both the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority (POR) as observers on this study, the findings can help assess the prospects of LCO2 to support maritime decarbonisation. The study will commence in April 2023 and is expected to complete within nine months.