Design Approval for Large Dedicated CO2 Carriers from ABS

Efforts are continuing to develop a new, dedicated shipping operation that will play a key role in the proposed carbon capture storage and reuse projects currently proposed to help large industrial companies meet the goals to reduce harmful CO2 emissions. A Danish startup company, Dan-Unity CO2, reports that it has received design approvals from the American Bureau of Shipping for what may become the first dedicated CO2 carrier.

Launched this spring in a partnership between Scandinavian shipping companies Evergas and Navigator Gas, Dan-Unity CO2 seeks to leverage the combined experience of transporting gas at the two companies while focusing on the emerging market to transport large quantities of CO2. The company has partnered with Carbfix which is developed Iceland’s Coda Terminal near Reykjavik due to open in 2025 for the transportation and storage of CO2. The CO2 will be safely stored in Iceland’s volcanic bedrock and converted into stone within two years with a capacity of 2500 giga tons CO2 – more than 55 years of the entire globe’s emissions. In addition, Dan-Unity CO2 is a partner with Project Greensand, a project aiming at validating the technical and commercial feasibility of CO2 storage in the Danish part of the North Sea.

“We see a growing interest in CCS and CCU and are committed to identifying solutions that combine capture, transport, and storage,” said Steffen Jacobsen, CEO of Dan-Unity CO2. “As a leader in the industry, Dan-Unity CO2 is deeply involved in shipping requirements in North European projects of scale.“

Working with the German gas engineering design firm TGE Marine, plans have been developed for the world's first vessels capable of large-scale CO2 transportation. The new vessel designs from TGE Marine with a capacity of 12,500 cbm and 22,000 cbm, received the AiP from ABS ensuring that they can safely transport CO2 and providing the approvals needed to proceed to construction. The Danish Maritime Fund supported the project with a grant of more than $400,000 to develop the vessel designs.

The vessels will be purpose-built, and thus not be compatible with any other trades. Before proceeding with construction orders, Dan-Unity CO2 is seeking longer-term contract commitments once the feasibility is completed on the CO2 projects.

Jacobsen reports that the larger 22,000 cbm vessel would have the capacity to transport about 500,000 tons CO2 annually when operating between the northwest European region and Iceland.

With the design approvals from ABS, Dan-Unity CO2 reports that it can build the number of vessels required using one of the new vessel size designs with a lead time of 27 to 28 months.