DNV: Onboard carbon capture is technically feasible, but …

White paper on OCC was presented by Chara Georgopoulou, DNV's head of maritime r&d and advisory, Greece, during DNV's Expert Talks at Posidonia 2024.

While onboard carbon capture (OCC) is gaining increasing interest as way for ships to continue operating on conventional fuels while reducing emissions, there seem to be all sorts of questions around things like what to with the carbon once its capured.

A new DNV white paper says that successful commercial uptake of OCC depends on collaboration between regulators, policy makers, industry stakeholders, class, and suppliers.

The white paper, “The potential of onboard carbon capture in shipping,”, explores OCC as a decarbonization solution for shipping by looking at its technical, economic, operational, and regulatory challenges, as well as its integration into the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) value chain.

CCUS is the process of capturing CO2 and recycling it for future use or permanently storing it in deep underground geological formations. The maritime industry is exploring its application onboard ships, which will require an onboard system to capture, process and store the CO2, and a network for offloading it that is integrated into wider CCUS infrastructure.

“OCC is expected to be part of a range of future options which will help shipping achieve its decarbonization goals,” said Chara Georgopoulou, head of maritime R&D and advisory, Greece, at DNV. However, further collaboration and testing is required to verify its performance. The commercial attractiveness of OCC will depend on the terms under which regulations can credit the removal of carbon emissions, and how smoothly it can be integrated into the growing CCUS value chain.”

For OCC to be relevant for wider application it must be economically viable and competitive with other decarbonization alternatives, says the DNV white paper. If successfully deployed, OCC can become a key way for shipowners to comply with decarbonization regulations, while also helping to reduce the demand for alternative fuels.

The EU ETS is the only regulatory framework currently providing commercial incentives for OCC. To encourage shipowners to adopt the technology, future environmental and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations must also provide credit for captured CO2.

“If we are to achieve IMO decarbonization targets, we must leave no stone unturned in continuing to investigate OCC and other potential technologies that can accelerate shipping’s decarbonization journey,” Georgopoulou said.

• Download the DNV white paper HERE