Value Maritime has started working on systems that might make 100% onboard carbon capture a reality as soon as 2026.
Carbon neutral shipping is still a ways off, although it is a much needed component for the decarbonisation of the planet.
Carbon Collectors, a professional in the field of carbon capture and storage (CCS), is working on a conceptual design with Value Maritime for a new fleet of MGO-fuelled tugs.
Value Maritime is working to understand the amount of installed power needed in the diesel generators of these vessels.
Also, both sides will need to study the discharge options for the captured CO2, as well as the CAPEX and OPEX, and suitable solutions for unloading and storing carbon underground.
Christiaan Nijst, director of Value Maritime, is reported to have said that the company has done extensive research on large seagoing vessels, and now Carbon Collectors is providing the chance to apply their research to tugboats.
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The first quarter of 2024 will mark the onset of the construction of the first tug and it is expected to be operational by 2026.
Hopes are that the vessels will be able to capture 100% of their CO2 emissions onboard.
The need for effective onboard carbon capture stems from the fact that carbon neutral fuels are not going to be available in the quantities necessary in the coming years.
It will be some time until there is enough supply to meet the demand.
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Hence, the urgent need to use a different approach to compensate for the same.
Carbon capture and storage is a good option in the long-term.
Maritime technology firms believe carbon capture to be an efficient means of cutting the CO2 emissions of the shipping industry, more so when considered in combination with scrubbers.
However, the exact percentage of the captured carbon emissions and at what cost it will come is yet to be seen.
