Florida-based shipping and energy supply chain company Crowley and Carbon Ridge Inc, a U.S. developer of modular onboard carbon capture and storage solutions, have launched an onboard carbon capture pilot project.
The project involves the utilization of Carbon Ridge’s patent-pending, second-generation carbon capture technology on board Crowley’s Storm international container ship. The project is being implemented with the support from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) program.
The collaboration includes the engineering, manufacturing, and integration of a small-capacity version of Carbon Ridge’s full-scale carbon capture system.
Under the trial, the companies have agreed to operate, measure, and optimize the technology’s effectiveness in actual maritime environments at port and ultimately at sea.
“The advancement of the pilot project represents a milestone in the emerging technology for carbon capture. With its potential for significant emissions reductions through retrofitting or during new building, ship owners and operators have the opportunity to future-proof their vessels for incoming regulations, as well as reach internal goals for decarbonization and reduced emissions impacts,” said Chase Dwyer , CEO, Carbon Ridge.
Crowley’s engineering services group is leading the integration of the pilot system on the Storm, which serves the U.S. and Caribbean Basin. The carbon capture system will be housed in two 40-foot container units on the vessel’s main deck and have an additional 20-foot ISO-certified tank for storing the captured liquid CO2. The pilot project is expected to capture 1 metric ton per day from the vessel’s main engine.
“We are excited to help spearhead the maritime industry’s journey to cleaner operations at sea and in our communities, ” said Brett Bennett , senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Logistics.
“This is a strong step forward to understanding and achieving our commitment to reaching net-zero emissions as part of our sustainability strategy.”
Installation of the pilot unit on the vessel is expected in 2024 after completing onshore testing.
Crowley has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all scopes by 2050, pursuing a path aligned with the latest climate science to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Carbon Ridge’s OCCS technology has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emissions from commercial shipping by up to 95%, the company said. The technology allows for non-disruptive integration to vessel exhaust systems, and enables up to a 75% reduction in process equipment size and volume in comparison to conventional CCS technologies.
The Californian start-up is already working with Monaco-based Scorpio Tankers on the development of onboard carbon capture for maritime vessels.
The duo is working on a detailed front-end engineering, design, and validation process with a small-scale test unit onboard one of Scorpio Tankers’ 124 product tankers.
Last year, the company raised $6 million in funding to continue the development of its OCCS technology for an onboard pilot in 2023.
Investors include Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, shipping and logistics company Crowley, dry bulk shipowner Berge Bulk, as well as private equity firm Rusheen Capital Management and technology accelerator and venture fund Plug and Play Ventures.