Swedish company Alfa Laval has managed to capture CO2 in a recent trial performed in cooperation with Japan’s National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) using exhaust gas cleaning technology. Initiated by NMRI, the CO2 capture testing project was designed to provide real-world validation of results achieved in the lab.
The test involved a full-scale hybrid scrubber system, provided by Alfa Laval, which had been installed on a vessel owned by an unnamed Japanese shipowner.
The shipowner, who had installed Alfa Laval PureSOx, arranged with Alfa Laval and a local shipyard to include the testing in the vessel’s sea trials.
The scope of the project was limited to showing that a scrubber could perform the CO2 capture on board. According to Alfa Laval, the modified PureSOx system was able to absorb CO2 from the auxiliary diesel engines in port, while operating in closed loop.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is seen as a potential bridge technology, offering the possibility to extract carbon from emissions until carbon-neutral fuels become more viable. In a full CCS solution, carbon removed from a vessel’s exhaust gas would be stored away to prevent it from ever entering the atmosphere.
“Alfa Laval PureSOx is a proven solution with a long track record in SOx abatement,” says René Diks , Head of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems at Alfa Laval
“The positive results from our project with NMRI Japan show that scrubber technology could also play a role in removing carbon at sea.” “Much development is needed before CCS can be deployed at sea, but this preliminary testing showed clear potential in the approach.”
Diks pointed out that decarbonizing the marine industry will demand a wide range of emission-reducing technologies in addition to new fuels, stressing that cooperation in exploring those possibilities is the only way to go.