ERMA FIRST’s onboard CCS gets DNV nod

Greek tech company ERMA FIRST has received classification society DNV’s approval for its onboard carbon capture (OCC) system.

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The OCC combines carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from a vessel’s exhaust gases with an amine-based solvent. The captured CO2 is then released from the solvent by heating to cause a chemical reaction that reverses the CO2 absorption.

Amines are nitrogen-containing organic compounds that help in absorption and regeneration of CO2.

The released CO2 gas is then liquefied and stored cryogenically on the vessel while the solvent is ready to be reused in another process.

DNV issued the approval following the successful completion “of a technical review, risk assessment and review of the company’s feasibility study for onboard carbon capture (OCC) on RoRo vessels,” ERMA FIRST says.

“OCC systems promise to provide shipowners and operators with the ability to significantly reduce the volume of CO2 emitted in exhaust fumes and offer a viable solution to achieving the IMO’s emissions reduction targets,” ERMA FIRST’s co-founder and managing director Konstantinos Stampedakis says.

In October, ERMA FIRST’s OCC system received approval from classification society Lloyd's Register (LR).

Carbon capture gaining momentum

The shipping industry is promoting carbon capture as a means to reduce the sector's carbon footprint and effectively meet global emissions reduction goals.

A recent report from DNV highlighted the onboard carbon capture and storage (OCSS) as an option "beyond fuels" to combat maritime emissions.

DNV underscored that OCSS would allow ships to use fossil-based fuels while significantly reducing emissions. This would ease the burden of producing green and blue fuels, like e-methanol or blue ammonia, to meet shipping demand.

Several shipping companies are exploring ways to integrate the technology onboard vessels.

Last month, Greek dry bulk shipping company Diana Shipping, Hong Kong-based marine tech firm Sinotech and US-based ballast management firm Ecochlor agreed to install a scrubber and CCS system onboard one of Diana’s bulk carriers.

In October, South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean received classification society Korean Register’s (KR) approval for its OCC system.

By Tuhin Roy

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