Liquid CO2 carriers: The next big thing?

CO2 carrier and offshore injection platform [Image: KSOE]

With carbon capture and storage (CCS) gaining traction as a technology to reduce the impact of CO2 emissions, maritime transport will play a key role in the CCS value chain. This is is expected to lead to an increasing demand for liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carriers.

In response, Hyundai Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CO. (KSOE) have developed a design for a new 40,000-cubic-meter liquified CO2 carrier design. This week, the design was granted an Approval in Principle (AiP) by classification society DNV and the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR)

At 40,000 cubic meters, the design is seen as a milestone in an emerging vessel segment where current carriers are limited to less than 2,000 cubic meters.

The 40,000 cubic meter class LCO2 carrier is 239 meters long, 30 meters wide, and has a depth of 21 meters. The vessel will be equipped with seven IMO type-C cargo tanks with a total capacity of 40,000 CBM. It is designed to carry LCO2 cargo only, but multi-cargoes such as LPG or ammonia can also be considered.

“Obtaining the AiP for this innovative large scale LCO2 carrier is a meaningful technological milestone. We believe our self-developed LCO2 carrier will contribute to global decarbonization efforts by providing tailor-made designs according to each ship owner’s specific requirements,” said Won-Ho Joo, senior executive vice president and chief technical officer at HHI.

“This is a ground-breaking project that is key to meeting the maritime industry’s greater goals of energy efficiency and decarbonization. I am proud to have had Liberia working so closely alongside our partners at DNV and HHI on this project,” said Alfonso Castillero, chief operating officer of LISCR.

“This project will be very important for the design and capabilities of the LCO2 fleet of the future. We are pleased to be at the forefront of this development,” added Thomas Klenum, senior vice president of maritime operations, who led LISCR’s review and approval process.

“We are delighted to work with HHI, KSOE, and LISCR, and to be able to approve this innovative LCO2 carrier design,” commented Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager Korea & Japan at DNV Maritime. “Our role is to support bringing these ship designs to life for a safer and more sustainable future.”