GCMD to evaluate safety requirements for offloading CO2

Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) issued an invitation for proposals to evaluate the safety, technical and operational requirements for offloading CO2 captured on ships.

GCMD is part of a seven-member consortium that aims to study how best to offload liquefied CO2 from capture systems on board vessels, based on the proposals submitted. GCMD expects to make one award in the second quarter of 2023 upon completing the proposal evaluations.

The scope of the study includes the process of offloading liquefied CO2 captured onboard tankers, bulkers and container lines at different temperatures and pressures to different receptacles, which includes vessels that can receive liquefied CO2, and intermediary storage sites through ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore or ship-to-floating storage. The evaluation will also account for existing policies and regulations that may aid or hamper the process.

GCMD, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative as well as tanker operator Stena Bulk in October launched a two-year test to capture carbon onboard a tanker. The project was developed with other members of the consortium — Swedish marine technology manufacturer Alfa Laval, the American Bureau of Shipping, ship design firm Deltamarin and Dutch technological institute TNO.

More firms have been considering shipboard carbon capture, as it allows for the reduction of emissions without switching to alternative marine fuels. South Korean shipbuilding Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering is looking to develop an onboard carbon capture and storage system with its Greek and US partners. Japanese trading house Mitsui and Shell have also agreed to collaborate to evaluate options for owning and chartering ships to carry liquefied CO2.