Eastern Pacific Shipping’s (EPS) chemical tanker, the Pacific Cobalt, has been granted the first-ever class notation for onboard carbon capture by Lloyd’s Register (LR).
The 2020-built vessel has been retrofitted with Value Maritime’s proprietary Filtree System, which is capable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40%.
This Emission Abatement Carbon Capture & Storage (EACCS) notation, specifically designed for amine-based systems using heavy fuel oil, confirms that the onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) system meets LR‘s rigorous safety and performance standards.
Nick Brown, LR’s CEO, expressed confidence in the technology’s potential to aid the shipping industry become more sustainable.
“This class notation will further support OCCS installations on ships giving industry confidence in the technology’s ability to support shipping’s decarbonisation goals,”said Brown.
The Filtree System works by combining a sulfur oxide (SOx) scrubber with a carbon capture mechanism.
It uses seawater to remove sulfur oxides and particulate matter from exhaust gasses, and the remaining carbon dioxide is captured using amine compounds. The captured CO2 is then stored onboard in tanks.
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Jurriaan Guljé, Operations Director at Value Maritime, praised the collaboration between EPS, LR, and Value Maritime on this significant milestone for the shipping sector: “The combined commitment and engineering expertise of EPS, LR, and Value Maritime have made onboard carbon capture a reality, paving the way for OCCS technology to significantly contribute to sustainable maritime operations.”
The process reportedly reduces the energy and cost typically associated with carbon capture and storage. The CO2-saturated amine is replaced with fresh amine during port calls.
Cyril Ducau, Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Pacific Shipping, emphasized the partnership’s importance in achieving the industry’s emissions reduction targets and decarbonizing shipping.
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