Carbon Capture Shipping In Asia Pacific DNV Approves Innovative Low-Pressure CO₂ Carrier

This Approval in Principle (AiP) marks a significant advancement in large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) shipping, particularly for the Asia-Pacific region. Given the high CO2 emissions from countries like Japan, Korea, and Singapore, there is a growing need for cost-efficient, high-capacity CO2 transportation to storage locations.

Key Highlights of the Low-Pressure CO₂ Carrier Design

• Ship Dimensions:
  • Length: 290 meters
  • Draft: 12 meters (optimized for key East Asian ports)
  • Comparable in size to a 174,000 cbm LNG carrier
• Cargo Capacity & Storage:
  • 74,000 cbm of liquid CO₂ stored in 15 cylindrical tanks
  • Maintained at -50°C and 6–8 barg (low-pressure standard)
  • Designed for future onboard CO₂ capture from engine exhaust
• Technical & Industry Collaboration:
  • Developed by Shell, Brevik Engineering, and DNV Maritime
  • Over 50 documents reviewed for cargo tank integrity and material suitability
  • AiP confirms feasibility, safety, and scalability of low-pressure CO₂ transport
• Impact on CCS & Decarbonization:
  • Enables large-scale cross-border CO₂ shipping
  • Supports cost reduction in CCS through economies of scale
  • Enhances safety and regulatory compliance

Industry Reactions:

• Mathias Sørhaug (DNV Maritime) emphasized that collaboration is key to advancing the CCS value chain and scaling up cost-effective CO₂ shipping solutions.
• Lee Teng-Huar (Shell) highlighted that the AiP validates the design’s feasibility and positions it for future tenders.
• Evert Grødal (Brevik Engineering AS) stated that the design sets new benchmarks in safe, efficient, and sustainable CO₂ transport.

This AiP represents a major step toward realizing large-scale CCS infrastructure and could play a pivotal role in Asia-Pacific’s decarbonization efforts.