19 March 2024 (Lloyd's List) - EFFORTS to develop onboard carbon capture and storage systems are being stymied by a lack of offloading facilities at ports, according to a new report.

A study commissioned by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and Arup, identified low port readiness as a major bottleneck to the adoption of onboard carbon capture and storage systems as a decarbonisation technology.

While the technology to capture carbon on board vessels was sufficiently mature, opportunities to remove it from vessels was limited, said GCMD chief executive Lynn Loo.

“It is still uncertain how captured carbon on merchant ships can be safely offloaded, and what the rest of the value chain looks like,” she said.

“This study sheds light on these challenges, and highlights recommendations to holistically address these concerns for parties interested in advancing OCCS / LCO2 offloading concepts.”

The study looked at 10 planned liquefied CO2-related infrastructure projects that were in development for handling carbon emissions from industrial clusters, and with which ports would need to integrate to provide economies of scale.

It found that most of these were still in the concept phase, hence ports had yet to proceed with investments in offloading infrastructure.

“This chicken-and-egg dilemma highlights the overall infancy of the carbon value chain,” the report said.

“Furthermore, introducing LCO2 offloading into already complex port operations will likely impact port efficiency and operational performance.

“The need for additional buffer zones to address the safety concerns of LCO2 handling and storage will also add to existing space constraints at ports and terminals.”

One of the key considerations is to examine how LCO2 can be offloaded safely to the appropriate infrastructure.

“The maritime industry requires a comprehensive understanding of the safety and operational challenges posed by all emission-reduction technologies,” said LR chief executive Nick Brown.

“This study, which focused on port readiness and considerations for the safe handling and offloading of LCO2, addresses some of the gaps that exist in the carbon capture value chain and will support industry stakeholders in making informed investment decisions around carbon capture solutions and the creation of regulatory and operational guidelines.” 

The study determined that captured CO2 in its liquefied form is likely the most efficient and cost-effective option for onboard storage and transport.

Ship-to-terminal transfer of captured CO2 stored in ISO tank containers was identified as more compatible at smaller scales, and was most compatible with existing port infrastructure and therefore easier to pilot today.