Dutch marine contractor will test carbon capture on LNG vessel

Heerema Marine Contractors is conducting a five-week trial to test an onboard carbon capture system (OCSS) on its LNG-fuelled vessel as part of a project called Everlong.

PHOTO: SSCV Sleipnir, a semi-submersible crane vessel owned and operated by Heerema Marine Contractors. Heerema

Energy equipment manufacturers Carbotreat and VDL Carbon Capture have developed a combined scrubber and amine-based carbon capture technology. It combines carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from a vessel’s exhaust gases with an amine-based solvent.

Amines are nitrogen-containing organic compounds that help in the absorption and regeneration of CO2.

The captured CO2 is then segregated from the solvent by heating, causing a chemical reaction that reverses the CO2 absorption. The segregated CO2 gas will then be liquefied and stored cryogenically in a pressurised tank installed on the vessel as part of the integrated system. Meanwhile, the solvent will be reused in another process.

Heerema's LNG-capable vessel, SSCV Sleipnir, will test the OCSS system for 500 operating hours. SSCV Sleipnir is a semi-submersible crane vessel. The specialised vessel is designed for heavy lifting operations in offshore construction and installation projects.

The trial will involve testing the capture rate and liquefication capacity of the technology on the vessel. It will also include offloading CO2 and transporting it to a permanent storage facility.

This will be the second trial conducted as part of the Everlong project. The OCSS system was first tested on SEAPEAK ARWA, an LNG-powered gas tanker chartered by TotalEnergies. Project partners claim the first trial yielded an 85% CO2 capture rate.

Partners in the project include classification societies Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Register and DNV, engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions and fuel supplier TotalEnergies.

By Konica Bhatt

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