Harmonized regulation key to unlocking investments in scaling OCCS for maritime decarbonization

A clear and supportive legislative framework is critical to enabling Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) and unlocking timely investment across the ship and LCO₂ offloading value chain, according to a DNV report commissioned by five leading shipping companies. The shipping companies involved – CMA CGM, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and MSC – see OCCS as a promising solution to decarbonize in addition to the use of low-carbon and carbon-free fuels.

Despite the IMO postponing the adoption of the NZF, urgency remains to develop decarbonization solutions. The report, produced by DNV, aims to provide insight into how CO₂ capture on board ships can contribute to reducing emissions, including considerations for shipowners, the potential of the technology and the need for a clear legislative framework.

The report was initiated by the five liners after the Port of Rotterdam Authority brought together more than 25 parties last year to support the development of the CO₂ capture and storage chain through the establishment of the OCCS chain.

Three key focus areas of the report:

Physical value chain: Development of a liquid CO₂-chain (LCO₂), in which CO₂ is captured on board, liquefied and transferred to LCO₂-receiving vessels in ports. These vessels deliver CO₂ to (interim) storage terminals in Rotterdam and Singapore for subsequent transport to final sequestration sites.

CO₂ abatement and downstream economic opportunity: Analysis using DNV's GHG Pathway Model to gain insight into reduction and transshipment capacity based on the fleet serving this corridor. The report highlights the CO2 abatement potential and economic opportunity for the downstream OCCS value chain.

Regulatory framework: Investments in capture installations, transport capacity and permanent storage facilities are only feasible if supporting regulations are introduced in a timely manner.

Pilot on the Asia North-Europe trade route

As a next step, the five shipping companies propose to use the Asia North Europe trade lane as a test environment for an OCCS corridor. This busy shipping route is suitable for large-scale application of OCCS due to its high emissions, predictable timetables and CO₂-storage projects in Rotterdam and around Singapore.

Pilot projects demonstrate that the technology is technically feasible, scalable and safe. In order to make OCCS work on a large scale, the chain must be developed with ships that can transport liquid CO₂, storage and transshipment terminals and stores. The report emphasizes that regulation is the biggest bottleneck: IMO guidelines for OCCS are under development, EU regulations do not yet provide a complete framework, and legal clarity is needed on cross-border CO₂-transport and the status of CO₂ (waste or raw material).

First pilot project in Rotterdam successfully completed

The first captured CO₂ from a ship was unloaded in Rotterdam last year. Container ship Ever Top, owned by shipping company Evergreen, brought a tank container with 20 tons of liquid CO₂ ashore, after previously unloading the same amount in Shanghai. The Ever Top (14,000 TEU) is the first medium-sized container ship with a CO₂ capture installation (SMDERI). The installation captures CO₂, cleans it and converts it into liquid form for storage on board. As part of a separate project, DNV confirmed that the quality would be suitable for (re)use in greenhouse horticulture.

To support the realization of OCCS the Port of Rotterdam Authority is developing chains for the storage and reuse of CO₂ within the port industrial complex. Companies like Value Maritime, Wärtsila en SMDERI are already equipping vessels with capture systems.