Carbon capture prototype on board

A ship-based carbon capture (SBCC) prototype developed in the Netherlands by Carbotreat as part of the EverLoNG CCUS project has just been installed on a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered carrier chartered by TotalEnergies.

“The installation of the small-scale prototype SBCC unit on board the carrier marks a major milestone in the project as it has enabled the start of the first testing campaign,” said Marco Linders of TNO, the project leader. “It has been achieved with the great support of Bureau Veritas and the shipowner, SEAPEAK.”

The campaign will run for 3,000 hours during which the unit is expected to capture up to 250 kg of CO2 per day. As well as assessing the impact of SBCC on the ship’s infrastructure and emissions, EverLoNG CCUS researchers will study the effects of motion on CO2 capture rates and capture solvent performance.

The captured CO2 will be stored onboard as a liquid in a container. It will then be off-loaded and transported to an industrial site for utilisation or stored permanently in the subsurface.

The prototype and vessel designs enable a remote monitoring supervision from shore for a safer and more efficient learning campaign.

After the trial on TotalEnergies’ LNG carrier, the SBCC unit will be removed and installed on a second vessel, the SSCV Sleipnir from Heerema Marine Contractors, where a second campaign of around 500 hours will take place.

“In addition to demonstrating the technical feasibility of SBCC, we will be working with project partners to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the technology and ways to encourage its uptake to support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector,” said Eric Pelard of TotalEnergies.

International shipping creates around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. The maritime sector has pledged to reduce these emissions by 50% by 2050, with deployment of SBCC one of the ways of meeting this goal.

You can watch a short video of Carbotreat’s SBCC unit here.

Image: Carbotreat prototype on board.