Mitsubishi to build world’s 1st LCO2 carrier intended for CCUS

Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has concluded a contract with compatriot shipping company Sanyu Kisen for the construction of a demonstration test ship to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).

As informed, the vessel will be built at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works, with completion and delivery scheduled for the second half of fiscal 2023.

The construction of the ship — which will serve for technology development and demonstration to realize high-volume CO2 transport –is part of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) project initiatives.

Upon building completion and the delivery, the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA) will charter the demonstration test ship from Sanyu Kisen to carry out research and development and demonstration tests for establishing LCO2 ship transportation technology.

Under consignment from ENAA, three additional project partners — Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Nippon Gas Line, and Ochanomizu University — will accelerate R&D of the LCO2 transportation technology and contribute to cost reduction of CCUS technology and safe, long-distance and large-scale transportation of LCO2. In the demonstration project, the partners plan to use the vessel to collect operational data under various loading conditions and in various weather and sea conditions.

Although ships to carry LCO2 used in the food industry have previously been constructed and operated in Europe and Japan, this newbuild is expected to be the world’s first LCO2 carrier intended specifically for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), according to Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.

Specifically, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will be in charge of all aspects from the ship design through construction, including the cargo containment system. In September 2021, the shipbuilder received approval in principle from Bureau Veritas for the cargo tank system to be mounted in an LCO2 carrier.

With a tank capacity of 1,450 cbm, the new demonstration test vessel will feature a length of 72 meters and a beam of 12.5 meters.

CCUS is garnering attention today as an effective means of achieving a carbon-neutral society. Because CO2 emissions sites are often located distant from the sites selected for carbon utilization or storage, demand is expected to increase for LCO2 carriers which can transport their cargo safely and economically.

Through the experience to be gained by constructing the world’s first LCO2 carrier built specifically for CCUS, MHI Group said it will strengthen its current strategic business focused on the energy transition.

The company will also continue its dedication to developing and providing the technologies relating to LCO2 carriers necessary for CCUS value chain building, to contribute to CO2 ecosystem development.