It uses absorption technology to mix CO2 flue gases with a proprietary amine solvent which is then heated to produce a chemical reaction which reverses the absorption and separates the CO2 from the solvent. The CO2 from this process is then liquified and stored under cryogenic conditions onboard with the solvent ready to use in the same process again, creating a regenerative loop for CCS.

LR says that with the ability to capture a significant amount of CO2 from exhaust emissions, ship owners and operators will be able to meet and exceed the IMO’s strengthened emission reduction targets, whilst increasing their vessels’ lifecycle.

The AiP, as part of the Risk-Based Certification process, allows ERMA FIRST to proceed with onboard pilot testing of the application.

OCCS feasibility studies

Wärtsilä is offering carbon capture and storage (CCS) feasibility studies to shipowners and operators. The Finland-based technology group says that such studies have already been conducted on a range of vessel types including ro-ro and ro-pax vessels, a drill ship, a container vessel and a gas carrier.

The process takes four to six months of study and design work. Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment’s experts are involved in ship design at an early stage to conduct engineering work to understand how CCS can be smoothly integrated once the technology is launched to market.

Wärtsilä is conducting the feasibility studies across both new build and existing vessels. It says that retrofit CCS installations will be significantly smoothed by the presence of a scrubber onboard. Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment is already offering CCS-Ready scrubbers to the market which are integrated onboard in a way that enables a CCS system to be added easily once the technology is commercialised.