Novel low pressure LCO2 carrier design gains DNV AiP

Image: DNV

DNV has awarded a detailed Approval in Principle (AiP) to Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited and Brevik Engineering for their design of a 74,000 cubic meter liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2 ) carrier. The vessel is specifically designed for the Asia Pacific market to enable cost competitive transport of CO2.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is set to play a key role in decarbonization of industry in Asia Pacific. Emitting countries such as Japan, Korea, and Singapore are studying the possibility of shipping substantial quantities of their own CO2 to store locations within the wider region. This necessitates the development of larger capacity vessels than those currently planned for European CCS projects.

To put this in perspective, the LCO2 carriers built for the pioneering Northern Lights project in Norway have a capacity of 7,500 cubic meters each.

DNV says that low-pressure cargo tank designs are a key enabler to commercialize these large LCO2 ships to enable transportation of CO2 at lower cost.

This AiP from DNV covers a comprehensive scope across a wide range of disciplines, including the assessment of specific technical challenges for LCO2 carriers. Over 50 documents have been reviewed, with special emphasis on cargo tank design, including tank integrity analysis and suitability of material.

With dimensions capped at 290 meters in length and a 12-meter draft to access key East Asian ports, the designed ship mirrors the size of a 174,000 cubic meter LNG carrier. It features 15 cylindrical tanks that store 74,000 cubic meters of liquid CO2 at around -50°C and 6–8 barg, a low-pressure industry standard.

The vessel is also designed for future onboard capture of CO2 from the main engine exhaust.

This achievement, says DNV, marks a significant milestone in showcasing the viability of innovative low-pressure shipping technology for CO2.

“We are pleased to be collaborating closely with Shell and Brevik Engineering on bringing this innovative gas carrier design to fruition,” said Mathias Sørhaug, business development director CO2 shipping at DNV Maritime. “This AiP underscores the importance of joint innovation and collaboration in advancing solutions that support the development of the wider CCS value chain. Scale is essential to drive down the cost of CCS and this work demonstrates the feasibility of large CO2 carriers with a low carbon footprint.”

“After months of technical research, we are proud to have received this detailed Approval in Principle confirming the feasibility of low pressure shipping with a design that is tender-ready,” said Lee Teng-Huar, Shell;s general manager, maritime operations, Asia Pacific and Middle East. ‘We are excited to see how innovations like this can potentially enhance safety, achieve scalability and flexibility to drive cost competitiveness in the implementation of large-scale cross-border CCS.”

Evert Grødal, managing director of Brevik Engineering AS, notes that the company brought its experience in marine design and CO2 ship logistics to the development of the novel low-pressure CO2xcarrier, where the key philosophy has been to reduce technological risk and ensure compliance with current regulations.

“Based on a comprehensive technology study, conducted in collaboration with Shell, this innovative design is expected to set new benchmarks in safe, efficient, and sustainable large-scale CO2 shipping,” he said.

DNV notes that Approval in Principle (AiP) is an independent evaluation of a concept based on a predefined framework of requirements. It confirms the feasibility of the design and ensures there are no significant technical obstacles hindering its implementation.