DNV: Commercial uptake of OCC relies on industry collaboration

June 6, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić

The success of onboard carbon capture (OCC) depends on collaboration between regulators, policy makers, industry stakeholders, class, and suppliers, according to DNV’s newest report.

The OCC is attracting interest within the shipping industry, providing shipowners with the opportunity to continue operating on conventional fuels while reducing emissions.

With decarbonization targets rapidly approaching, demand for cost-efficient solutions for emission reduction is increasing. DNV’s latest whitepaper “The potential of onboard carbon capture in shipping” explores OCC as a decarbonization solution for shipping.

CCUS is the process of capturing CO₂ and recycling it for future use or permanently storing it in deep underground geological formations.

The maritime industry is exploring its application onboard ships, which will require an onboard system to capture, process and store the CO₂, and a network of offloading which is integrated into wider carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) infrastructure.

The report tackles technical, economic, operational, and regulatory challenges, as well as the integration into the carbon capture, utilization, and storage value chain.

“OCC is expected to be part of a range of future options which will help shipping achieve its decarbonization goals. However, further collaboration and testing is required to verify its performance. The commercial attractiveness of OCC will depend on the terms under which regulations can credit the removal of carbon emissions, and how smoothly it can be integrated into the growing CCUS value chain,” Chara Georgopoulou, Head of Maritime R&D and Advisory Greece, said.

For OCC to be relevant for wider application, it must be economically viable and competitive with other decarbonization alternatives, according to DNV.

The EU ETS is the only regulatory framework currently providing commercial incentives for OCC.

To encourage shipowners to adopt the technology, future environmental and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations must also provide credit for captured CO2.

If successfully deployed, OCC can become a key way for shipowners to comply with decarbonization regulations, while also helping to reduce the demand for alternative fuels, DNV highlighted.

“If we are to achieve IMO decarbonization targets, we must leave no stone unturned in continuing to investigate OCC and other potential technologies that can accelerate shipping’s decarbonization journey,” Georgopoulou concluded.

In September last year, DNV conducted two comprehensive studies spotlighting the potential of onboard carbon capture and nuclear propulsion.

The findings were released in the company’s edition of the Maritime Forecast 2050.

The report emphasized that onboard carbon capture and nuclear propulsion, previously regarded as ambitious concepts, are not only mere contenders in the quest for cleaner shipping but formidable ones, fully capable of taking on established decarbonization solutions.