ABS Joins DSME to Explore Designs for a Very Large CO2 Carrier

ABS announced Thursday that it is partnering with South Korean shipbuilder DSME to develop designs for a 70,000 cubic meter very large liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier. It is the latest in a growing number of carbon transport R&D projects as shipbuilders plan ahead for a low-carbon future.
 
The project is a response to growing interest in the development of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, which will eventually require larger vessels for CO2 transport.
 
“CCUS can play a role in reducing emissions in a range of industries, but the supply chain will need vessels capable of transporting CO2 safely and efficiently. That’s why this [project] with DSME is so important, not just for the maritime industry but for ambitions to reduce the carbon footprint of the entire global economy,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.
 
DSME, which has previously developed a conceptual design for a 100,000 cubic meter CO2 carrier, is now developing a new design that can increase operational efficiency by increasing tank size. In order to increase tank capacity, the project will study different steel materials as well as existing low-temperature steel alloys. 

“DSME will maintain its unique competitiveness for the technology and quality in the field of liquefied gas carriers, such as LNG and LPG carriers, through this development of very large LCO2 carriers,” said Nuno Kim, the head of DSME's Ship Basic Design Division.

The project is the latest announcement in a string of competing LCO2 proposals. ABS is also working with Hyundai Mipo / KSOE on a separate LCO2 carrier project based on Hyundai's Type-C tank design, which the shipbuilder has previously used for LNG fuel tanks. In parallel, Hyundai Mipo / KSOE is working with Lloyd's Register and Korean steelmaker POSCO on developing special steel for the new vessel class.

In Japan, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding is working with French oil major TotalEnergies on opportunities to build large LCO2 carriers. Like Korea's Big Three shipbuilders, which have long held a market edge in the construction of gas carriers, Mitsubishi's goal is to build on the knowledge it has gained from the construction of LPG and LNG carriers. Its proposed LCO2 carriers are part of a larger plan: leveraging CO2 capture technologies developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, the company plans to develop a full "CO2 ecosystem" of CCUS solutions, from capture and transport to storage and reutilization.