GCMD, Lloyd’s Register join forces for liquefied carbon dioxide offloading concept study

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

The 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 will also provide insights for off-loading CO2 as a cargo under currently less-established operating and storage conditions.

Shipboard carbon capture can be a mid-term solution for decarbonising international shipping. For the industry to operationalise shipboard carbon capture technologies, addressing the offloading of captured CO2 is key to the entire value chain. LCO2 is likely one of the common forms in which CO2 will be stored and offloaded after its capture onboard ships, and its offloading is likely to take place alongside concurrent cargo and/or bunkering operations.

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-hr pilot that will be using non-proprietary amine-based solution, aiming to demonstrate 30% annual CO2 emissions reduction or 1300 kg/hr of CO2, store 375 metric tonnes of LCO2 onboard, and offload LCO2 after 10 days of sailing.

On awarding the GCMD concept study to Lloyd’s Register, Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said:

RelatedNews

Do you know how a carbon capture system works?

Four charts that look at the highs and lows of maritime decarbonization

We are pleased to be working with Lloyd’s Register on this LCO2 offloading concept study. The learnings from this study will inform how captured CO2 can be offloaded from various vessel types in general, and enable

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.

On being successfully awarded the Invitation-for-Proposal, Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register, said:

This study, in collaboration with stakeholders from across the maritime value chain, will support the establishment of regulatory and operational guidelines around offloading captured liquid carbon dioxide from vessels, which is crucial to enabling safe adoption of carbon capture technologies on board.

”It will also offer a timely assessment of the capital expenditure and operating expenditure of the infrastructure needed to offload liquid carbon dioxide from ships thus enabling the industry to make informed decisions for creating this infrastructure.” Mr Brown said.

Borbala Trifunovics, Ports & Maritime Leader at Arup, said

Action on maritime decarbonisation requires innovative new approaches to infrastructure and operations at ports. We are bringing together our maritime and energy expertise to shape solutions for LCO2 offloading that are safe, efficient and integrated with wider port functions.

The study will commence in April 2023 and is expected to complete within 9 months.