Mitsubishi Shipbuilding yesterday held a christening and handover ceremony for a demonstration test ship set to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).
The ship will be used for the CCUS R&D and Demonstration Related Project / Large-scale CCUS Demonstration in Tomakomai / Demonstration Project on CO2 Transportation, being conducted by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The vessel, named “EXCOOL”, will be chartered by Nippon Gas Line Co., Ltd., which is jointly conducting the NEDO project, to collect and analyze operational data through CO2 transportation demonstration tests.
In addition, K Line and Ochanomizu University will be commissioned by the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA), one of the consignees for the NEDO demonstration projects, as subcontractors to conduct safety assessments of LCO2 transportation operations, along with research and development for the ship’s LCO2 pressure control and stability, as well as develop and demonstrate technologies for safe and low-cost CO2 transport.
CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage) is gaining attention as an effective means of achieving a carbon-neutral society. Because the sources of CO2 emissions are often located distant from the sites selected for carbon utilization or storage, demand is expected to increase for LCO2 carriers able to transport such cargo safely and economically.
The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the presence of the ship owner Sanyu Kisen Co., Ltd. and other related parties.
