Anglo-Norwegian project for carbon capture on board ships

20 Jan 2010 | News

Collaboration

Det Norske Veritas (DNV) AS, of Oslo, a maritime classification society, and Process Systems Enterprise Ltd (PSE), a process development consultancy based in London, have announced a collaborative R&D project aimed at developing blueprint designs for on-ship carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to reduce maritime carbon dioxide emissions.

A recent study by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) estimates maritime CO2 emissions at over one billion tonnes per year, about 3 per cent of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. With these expected to increase threefold by 2050, the IMO is likely to introduce regulations to reduce emissions.

Because, unlike other forms of transport, ship emissions are concentrated, there is potential to capture CO2 at source. The project aims to develop a blueprint design for an on-board process for chemical capture and temporary storage of CO2 for ships in transit until discharge into transmission and storage infrastructures at the next suitable port.

The project, jointly financed by the two partners, plus the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and the Norwegian Research Council under the Eurostars initiative, will take account of specific problems including constant ship movement, limited space and access to utilities, stringent safety requirements and the need for energy efficiency.

PSE specialises in model-based innovation, which applies mathematical models to accelerate innovation, manage development risk and optimise process design and operation. Its gPROMS modelling technology is widely used in oil and gas, chemicals, power generation, clean energy and other process sectors.

Nikolaos Kakalis, Head of DNV Research & Innovation in Greece, says the concept of maritime carbon capture is completely new. “With the competence that DNV has in maritime R&D, we intend to provide the European shipbuilding and relevant manufacturing industries with a sound basis for the development of CCS systems for ships.”

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