New fleet of MGO-fueled tugs will feature onboard carbon capture

Tugs would be first fitted with Value Maritime;s onboard carbon capture solution

Two Netherlands-based companies are to carry out a conceptual design study for a new fleet of MGO-fueled tugs that will be fitted with an onboard carbon capture system.

The tugs are to be built for Carbon Collectors, which aims to collect carbon captured from shoreside industry and transport it by barge to be injected into depleted offshore gas fields. The MGO-fueled tugs would be fitted with the Filtree scrubber solution from Value Maritime , which cleans both air and water from all ship types and includes an integrated carbon capture feature.

FILTREE

The Filtree onboard carbon capture feature removes and stores carbon from the vessel’s exhaust gases and uses it to charge a CO2 battery that can be offloaded and re-used to facilitate the growth of crops, to enrich future fuels or safely stored until needed.

For the tug project, Value Maritime will work together with Carbon Collectors to investigate the feasibility of capturing carbon onboard the vessels to ultimately ensure that Carbon Collectors’ fleet is CO2 neutral from the start. Jointly, the two teams will investigate and determine:

• The required installed power of the diesel generators.

• The estimated CAPEX / OPEX.

• The best discharge options for the captured CO2.

• The optimal solution for unloading and underground storage.

FIRST TUG APPLICATION

This is a first for us,” said Christiaan Nijst, director and co-founder, Value Maritime. “We’ve conducted many studies in relation to larger sea-going vessels but now Carbon Collectors are affording us the opportunity to apply our carbon capture expertise to tugs, extending the reach of our sustainable shipping solutions.”

Once the design is proven, Carbon Collectors aims to use Value Maritime’s carbon capture module to the fullest extent. They are currently designing a custom fleet of power-efficient tugs with the construction of the first vessels scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2024. Once operational by 2026, the MGO fueled tugs could be effectively capturing all of their CO2 emissions onboard.

“As a company aiming to speed up the reduction of CO2 emissions, we also want to make sure that our own fleet contributes by becoming carbon-neutral as fast as possible,” said Haije Stigter, technical director,Carbon Collectors. “For years to come, carbon-neutral fuels will not be available in amounts that are large enough to fulfill demands, so carbon capture and storage seems the only feasible option in the short and medium term.