Knutsen NYK's LCO2 containment system gets DNV safety approval

Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers says the safety approval from DNV will now allow it to order liquified carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers with this containment system.

PHOTO: 3D model of LCO2 carrier with LCO2 containment system. Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers

Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC) is a joint venture between the Norwegian and Japanese shipping majors Knutsen Group and NYK Group.

It has received a general approval for ship application (GASA) for its proprietary “liquefied CO2-eleveated pressure” containment system from classification society DNV. This approval certifies that the containment system meets the safety requirements outlined in the concept design of the vessel - which was approved by DNV last year.

According to KNCC, the approval will allow it to order LCO2 carriers with this containment system, which can be retrofitted to existing vessels or installed on newbuilds.

Transporting LCO2 at ambient temperature

Carbon dioxide (CO2) will be captured from industrial sources and loaded onboard vessels in liquefied form. The containment system will enable vessels to store and transport LCO2 at "ambient temperature", according to KNCC.

Since CO2 is a gas at normal atmospheric pressure and temperatures, it needs to be compressed or cooled to transport it over long distances without taking up too much space on vessels. LCO2 is usually stored at extremely low temperatures of around -30°C to remain in a liquid state. At ambient temperatures, LCO2 can expand rapidly back to a gaseous state, causing containers to explode from pressure.

However, KNCC says its containment system allows LCO2 to be transported safely at ambient temperatures without requiring energy-intensive compression and heating processes.

It provides “cheaper and less energy consuming solutions through the entire CCS value chain from capture to final storage,” explained Trygve Seglem, vice chair of KNCC.

“It also has great synergy for direct injection offshore from the LCO2 carriers as CO2 injection must be done at high pressure and supercritical phase of CO2.”

By Konica Bhatt

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