Belgium’s Exmar has teamed up with South Korea’s Lattice Technology to develop a new type of CO2 carrier, which will also be suitable for LPG and ammonia shipping.
The initial concept is a 195 m long, 40,500 cu m panamax vessel tailored to support carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects with capacities ranging from two to 10 mtpa. Additionally, a 3,000 cu m storage capacity for low CO2 emitting fuels like LPG ammonia or LNG has been foreseen.
The partnership will, through a joint development company, combine Lattice’s innovative tank design for CO₂ transport together with Exmar’s experience in the design and operation of gas carriers.
Exmar said that a study proved that the Lattice tank design, the so-called Lattice Pressure Vessel (LPV), provides the best solution for large-scale CO2 transportation at low and medium pressures. “The design and vessel size can be adjusted to meet all required transport volumes to ensure the most optimal logistical solution in the most cost-competitive way.”
The patented tank design is also said to provide the best storage solution for offshore CO2 liquefaction or re-injection projects. The pressurised storage tanks can be made in an efficient shape, fitting the ship’s hull and allowing for large storage capacity. An additional benefit for offshore storage is that the LPV design prevents sloshing problems even in the harshest environments, Exmar explained.
The growing development of CCUS technology, which will ultimately require larger vessels for CO2 transport than those used in the existing food industry, has seen other players join the CO2 carrier arena. Most recently, South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and American class society ABS joined forces to develop designs for a 70,000 cu m very large, liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier.
Earlier in August, steelmaking giant Posco teamed up with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and its parent Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering along with Lloyd’s Register and the Liberian Registry to develop a 20,000 cu m LCO2 carrier by 2025.
