EverLoNG’s second demonstration campaign underway as SSCV Sleipnir sets sail
All facets of EverLoNG SBCC prototype unit will be rigorously tested over a 5-week period
The SSCV Sleipnir from Heerema Marine Contractors set sail in June 2024 with a very special cargo on board: the EverLoNG ship-based carbon capture (SBCC) prototype.
Installation of the unit, developed in the Netherlands by Carbotreat and VDL Carbon Capture, was completed following a recent consortium meeting where project partners gathered on board the vessel to discuss the finer details of the campaign.
The objective of the Sleipnir campaign is to test all aspects of the capture and onboard storage system on the LNG (liquefied natural gas)-fuelled vessel. This will be done over an operating period of around 500 hours and includes storing CO2 on board as a liquid in a specially designed container. The container will then be offloaded, and the CO2transported to an industrial site for utilisation, or stored permanently in the geological subsurface.
As well as assessing the impact of SBCC on the Sleipnir’s infrastructure and emissions, EverLoNG researchers are studying the effects of motion on CO2 capture rates and of exhaust gas impurities on capture solvent performance.
With a dedicated operator on board to oversee operation of the system, the prototype and vessel designs also enable remote performance monitoring and supervision from shore. This enables a safer and more efficient learning campaign that is providing real-time data that will be shared publicly in due course.
A public webinar on the second testing campaign will follow soon.
Heerema Marine Contractors Senior Project Manager, Cees Dijkhuizen: “As a ship owner, we are always looking at ways of reducing our emissions. Our biggest and newest vessel – the Sleipnir – can run on LNG, so it’s ideal for implementing this technology. We are delighted to be testing what will likely be a very important decarbonisation option for the maritime sector.”
Carbotreat Manging Director, Frank Sanders: “Our involvement in this project is quite simple: the sector, and the world, needs to drastically reduce its emissions. With our partners, we have developed this prototype SBCC unit to help achieve that. We eagerly anticipate the results from this second campaign.”
VDL Carbon Capture Technical Quality Coordinator, Thom Berkvens: “We’ve been involved in carbon capture for several years now and we see SBCC as a very important and immediate solution for the sector. This campaign, and the project itself, are a hugely significant part of that overall effort.”
EverLoNG project coordinator, Marco Linders (TNO): “On the back of a successful first testing campaign, we have high hopes for the Sleipnir demonstration, too. Again, this is an excellent example of international collaboration and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved. Emissions need to be reduced. EverLoNG is working hard to achieve that.”
This is EverLoNG’s second demonstration campaign, following the conclusion of the successful SEAPEAK ARWA trial earlier in the year, which demonstrated a CO2 capture rate of 85%. More detailed results and analysis covering from the first campaign are the subject of an upcoming public webinar on 25 June 2024.
Register: Webinar 2: Results from the first EverLoNG capture demonstration campaign on board the SEAPEAK ARWA
The findings from both campaigns are expected to be hugely significant for the development of SBCC as one way of helping the maritime sector chart a course towards net zero by 2050.
