MOL gets approval from Class NK for large carbon dioxide carrier design

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has designed a 64,000 cbm-capacity liquified carbon dioxide carrier, as demand for shipping the gas over large distances is set to grow rapidly with wider use of carbon capture, utilisation and storage over the coming years.

PHOTO: Model of liquefied carbon dioxide carrier. MOL

Carbon dioxide captured from onshore industrial plants and other emitting sources will be liquified and transported by pipeline to onshore storage tanks, then loaded onto a liquified carbon dioxide carrier like the one designed by MOL and shipped to a receiving port, where it will be pressurised and stored in onshore tanks.

MOL has developed the vessel together with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The partners say large carriers are needed to ship carbon dioxide at a scale of 1 million mt/year.

NEDO is running a demonstration project for carbon capture utilisation and storage technology in the Japanese city of Tomakomai until 2026. It is testing technology to capture around 100,000 mt/year of carbon dioxide emitted from oil refineries before storing it underground.

Earlier this year, MOL and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding completed a concept study for a liquified carbon dioxide carrier with a carrying capacity of 50,000 cbm.

Last year, MOL invested in Norway-based Larvik Shipping, a ship management company for liquified carbon dioxide carriers.