Business

GCMD awards concept study on offloading LCO2 captured on board ships to LR

Offloading is likely to take place alongside concurrent cargo and/or bunkering ops; study will address safety and operational considerations on offloading of LCO2 captured onboard tankers, amongst others.

Published

6 months ago

April 12, 2023

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The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (12 April) said it awarded its concept study on offloading liquefied CO2 (LCO2) captured onboard ships to Lloyd’s Register, supported by their partner Arup.

GCMD said 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,” it said.

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

The GCMD LCO2 offloading study: a fundamental prerequisite

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.

GCMD announced its Invitation-for-Proposals (IFP) on 6 December 2022 to a shortlist of classification societies and engineering consultants. The shortlisted recipients were invited to articulate the concept design for offloading shipboard liquefied CO2 captured on board ships to shore, and to ship storage facilities in major ports, of which guidelines are also not available for large-scale CO2 cargo offloading. In response to the IFP, a total of six proposals were received. In addition to internal evaluators, GCMD solicited the input and assessment of three external evaluators, all of whom are industry veterans with extensive domain expertise.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “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 the sea trials on Stena Impero that are being planned as part of Project REMARCCABLE more specifically.”

Assessing and validating the land-side infrastructure for LCO2 offloading

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.

GCMD aims to validate and finalise the study’s findings with industry stakeholders, such as port and terminal operators, vessel owners, and shipyards. Through this concept study, GCMD will help support the establishment of regulatory and operational guidelines and help set a precedence for future piloting and demonstration projects related to shipboard carbon capture technologies at scale. With both the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority (POR) as observers on this study, the findings can help assess the prospects of LCO2 to support maritime decarbonisation.

Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register, said: “Conducting this concept study for the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation will deliver greater industry understanding around the safety and operational issues that need addressing for offloading captured LCO2 from vessels.”

“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.”

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.”

To support the study, GCMD has convened a consortium of Study Partners and Observers who have the relevant domain expertise, interest and experience to provide inputs over the course of the project and support the review of the final report.

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

Photo credit: Lloyd's Register
Published: 12 April, 2023

Business

Singapore: Maritime Census 2023 survey deadline extended to 23 October

‘MPA is conducting an annual survey to collect timely statistics on the maritime industry’s activities, technology, sustainability and manpower developments,’ says the port authority.

Published

19 hours ago

September 28, 2023

Admin

SG bunker tanker sailing Photo by Manifold Times

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday (27 September) said the Maritime Census 2023 survey deadline has been extended to 23 October.

“MPA is conducting an annual survey to collect timely statistics on the maritime industry’s activities, technology, sustainability and manpower developments,” it said in a social media post.

Maritime firms selected for the survey will be notified by email or post to complete the survey online via go.gov.sg/mpasurvey .

“Your participation will help us shape policies and programmes that will drive #MaritimeSG forward,” it added.

Manifold Times previously reported MPA announcing it was conducting the census to collect timely statistics.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 28 September, 2023

Alternative Fuels

GCMD, BCG survey highlights three maritime decarbonisation archetypes

Survey identified three decarbonisation archetypes within the shipping industry, differentiated in their outlook, investment appetite and the challenges faced.

Published

19 hours ago

September 28, 2023

Admin

RESIZED Venti Views on Unsplash ship vessel

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) conducted an industry survey to take stock of shipowners and operators’ progress in establishing six elements needed for the shipping industry to reach net zero, according to BCG on Wednesday (27 September).

The survey saw strong participation from 128 shipowners and operators across vessel types, fleet sizes and geographies, which collectively own or operate 14,000 merchant vessels, and account for USD500 billion in revenue.

The duo found high decarbonisation ambitions: Most respondents viewed net zero as a strategic priority, and 77% had already set concrete decarbonisation targets. The industry has also mobilised resources to decarbonise: respondents are investing 2% of their revenues into green initiatives, and 87% have personnel working toward green objectives.

The path to net zero for shipowners and operators requires six elements:

A robust strategy and roadmap
Four specific decarbonisation levers to reduce emissions: operational efficiency, technological efficiency, fuel transition, and shipboard carbon capture
Enablers such as dedicated sustainability teams, strategic investments in green initiatives, internal carbon prices, and digitalization

While the industry has made some progress in adopting mature and cost-effective efficiency levers, adoption of complex or nascent levers remains low. Drop-in green fuels are constrained by costs and supply-side gaps, and optimism for future cleaner fuels is yet to translate into firm commitment.

The industry is now at a pivotal point, with many shipowners and operators ramping up their decarbonisation efforts. Three-quarters of respondents plan to increase investments in green initiatives. Stakeholders can build on this momentum with a variety of supportive actions. But to be effective, they need to tailor their interventions to address the specific challenges that shipowners and operators face at each stage of decarbonisation.

Three Decarbonisation Archetypes

GCMD and BCG saw three archetypes, differentiated in their outlook, investment appetite, and the challenges faced.

Frontrunners have the greatest ambitions and are willing to invest heavily. They are pushing boundaries, adopting even nascent decarbonisation levers, such as wind propulsion and air lubrication. A majority plan to pilot shipboard carbon capture solutions by 2025. Frontrunners are also planning to adopt methanol and ammonia as early as 2026 and 2029 respectively, and the availability of fuels and bunkering infrastructure will be critical to enabling adoption.

Followers believe in decarbonising their fleets, but have tighter investment thresholds and a near-term outlook. They have kept pace with Frontrunners in adopting mature and cost-effective efficiency levers, such as main engine improvements and slow steaming, but are behind in the adoption of nascent levers, such as wind propulsion and air lubrication.

Conservatives are still early in their decarbonisation journey, likely due to a lack of awareness and familiarity with the various decarbonisation levers, and the capabilities to assess and deploy them. They are best supported by measures that increase their familiarity with the levers and help contextualise them to their specific fleets and operational requirements.

The research highlights five key actions for stakeholders:

Conduct technical pilots and facilitate data sharing, especially for nascent levers

Create innovative financing mechanisms to de-risk adoption of less mature levers
Raise awareness, contextualize levers, and build capabilities, especially among Conservatives
Start to build out future fuels infrastructure at ports
Develop mechanisms to equalize and share the costs of levers across the ecosystem
Maritime decarbonization is a complex, critical endeavor. The successful implementation of these five key actions demands a whole-of-value-chain approach. By working together, stakeholders can transform the maritime sector into a beacon of environmental stewardship, and set a course for a greener future where decarbonization and commercial success go hand in hand.

Note: The GCMD-BCG Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey report can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 28 September, 2023

Ammonia

Itochu enters MoU with firms for study of ammonia bunkering safety for container carrier

Through this cooperation, several companies and organisations will come together to discuss and study safety issues during ammonia bunkering of a container carrier that uses ammonia as a bunker fuel.

Published

19 hours ago

September 28, 2023

Admin

Itochu enters MoU with firms for study of ammonia bunkering safety for container carrier

Tokyo-based Itochu Corporation on Tuesday (22 September) said it has executed a Memorandum of Understanding for a joint study of ammonia bunkering safety for an ammonia-fuelled container carrier among eight companies and organisations with the aim of implementing the use of ammonia as a bunker fuel in shipping industry.

Through this cooperation, several companies and organisations will come together to discuss and study safety issues during ammonia bunkering of a container carrier that uses ammonia as a main fuel.

“This MOU for Ammonia Bunkering Safety for Container Carrier is an important milestone for social implementation of the use of ammonia as marine fuel on a global scale, and also a necessary step toward the realisation of the Integrated Project consisting of the construction of a global ammonia supply chain and the development of ammonia-fuelled ships by ITOCHU and its partner companies,” the firm said in a statement.

A joint study that will be carried out under the MOU is a successive phase of the existing Joint Study Framework launched in 2021 by 34 companies and organizations including ITOCHU and Joint Study Framework for Ammonia Bunkering Safety launched in 2022 by 16 companies and organizations including ITOCHU, and focused on discussion and study of safety issues of ammonia bunkering to ammonia-fueled container carriers among experts from port authorities, container liner operators, bunkering related players and shipping company.

A key subject of the joint study under this MOU for Ammonia Bunkering Safety for Container Carrier is the safety assessment for simultaneous operations of container cargo operations and ammonia bunkering in a container terminal, which is generally required for container carriers to achieve operational efficiencies.

ITOCHU said it is promoting a development of ammonia-fueled container carriers with potential partners following the development of ammonia-fuelled bulk carrier, which obtained Approval in Principle in 2022. ITOCHU will accelerate the development of an ammonia-fueled container carrier based on findings of this MOU for Ammonia Bunkering Safety for Container Carrier and plans to bring it to the international shipping market in late 2020s.

ITOCHU will accelerate the development of sustainable energy systems through these initiatives and ensure its contributions to the SDGs and improvement of related efforts, one of the basic policies laid out in its new medium-term management plan, as the company pursues a low-carbon society.

The eight companies and organisations are; Algeciras Bay Port Authority, Spain; Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands; CMA CGM, France; A.P.Moller Maersk A/S, Denmark; Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Japan; Pavilion Energy Singapore, Singapore; TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, Singapore; and ITOCHU.