Designs for liquefied carbon dioxide carriers get DNV approvals

Samsung Heavy Industries and a joint project between MOL-Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have each received DNV approvals for their liquefied CO2 carrier designs.

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology is gaining traction as shipping and other industries move to curb CO2 emissions towards upcoming reduction targets.

A lack of technological readiness for shipping CO2 over deep seas is thought to be one of the main challenges to be overcome for CCUS to scale.

“Maritime transport can play an essential role in building up an efficient CCUS value chain, which is expected to lead to increasing demand for specialised LCO2 carriers going forward," says Vidar Dolonen, regional manager of classification society DNV Maritime Korea & Japan.

DNV has awarded multiple Approvals in Principle (AiP) to shipbuilders for liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier designs.

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has designed an LCO2 with large cargo tanks, and a reliquification system that condenses vaporised and compressed CO2 with refrigeration.

Meanwhile, Japanese shipbuilders Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding received an AiP for a 50,000 cbm class LCO2 carrier design.

Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers, a joint venture between Norwegian Knutsen Group and Japanese NYK Group, also received an AiP from DNV in April for a new tank system for an LCO2 carrier.

Recently, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) was granted design approval by Lloyd's Register for the development of the world's first 40,000 cbm LCO2 carrier.

By Konica Bhatt

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