DNV: 15% of Shipboard Carbon Emissions Will be Captured With CCS by 2050

CCS Clipper Eris — Solvang ASA's Clipper Eris, fitted with a Wartsila CCS system (Solvang)

Industrial carbon capture and storage is about to take off, according to DNV. Capacity will quadruple with $80 billion in investment by 2030, and will continue to expand through 2050, DNV predicts - and shipping will be along for the ride.

The concept of carbon capture has been on the table since the beginning of the drive for decarbonization, but the technology is beginning to gain traction, particularly in regions where it is incentivized by regulations (Europe) and in heavy industries where it is most practical (power generation, oil and gas). Government subsidies also help: Denmark is underwriting the Greensand and Bifrost storage projects, and Norway is underwriting 80 percent of the cost of the Longship CCS project. In the U.S., the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act created a tax credit that has driven investment in a large CCS project pipeline.

CCS is also possible on board ships, though as with any emissions reduction strategy, there are caveats. The captured CO2 gas has to be stored in pressurized, cylindrical tanks, taking up additional volume on deck or belowdecks. It has to be offloaded to a reception facility, and at present the infrastructure only exists at a few locations. And operating the onboard capture system itself requires heat and electric power, increasing fuel consumption at the same time that carbon is being captured. However, CCS has a significant advantage: it can run on ubiquitous and inexpensive bunker fuel, even HFO (with a scrubber).

"We expect a [storage] system to be in place from 2040 and 15% of all maritime CO2 emissions to be captured and stored by 2050. Overall, maritime transport will account for 9% of CO2 captured with CCS in 2050," DNV predicted.

Shipping will also have a part to play in developing offshore subsea injection and storage facilities. "Ship transport, especially in the North Sea or the Mediterranean Sea, will likely play a key role in transporting CO2 between shore terminals or via offshore injection," DNV predicted.