EverLoNG: Second carbon capture demonstration onboard LNG-powered ship takes off

The second test campaign under the EverLoNG project has begun with a ship-based carbon capture (SBCC) prototype installed on Heerema Marine Contractors’ LNG-powered crane ship Sleipnir.

According to the project’s update, the LNG-powered crane ship Sleipnir set sail in June 2024 equipped with the EverLoNG SBCC prototype which will be tested over five weeks. The unit was developed in the Netherlands by Carbotreat and VDL Carbon Capture and installed on the ship following a consortium meeting.

This demonstration campaign aims to test all aspects of the capture and onboard storage system on the LNG-fueled vessel. This will be done over an operating period of around 500 hours and includes storing CO2 on board as a liquid in a specially designed container. The container will then be offloaded, and the CO2 transported to an industrial site for utilization or stored permanently in the geological subsurface.

Alongside assessing the impact of SBCC on Sleipnir’s infrastructure and emissions, EverLoNG researchers are studying the effects of motion on CO2 capture rates and of exhaust gas impurities on capture solvent performance.

The prototype and vessel designs also enable remote performance monitoring and supervision from shore, providing a safer and more efficient learning campaign that provides real-time data that will be shared publicly in due course, EverLoNG explained.

Heerema Marine Contractors Senior Project Manager, Cees Dijkhuizen, said: “As a ship owner, we are always looking at ways of reducing our emissions. Our biggest and newest vessel – the Sleipnir – can run on LNG, so it’s ideal for implementing this technology. We are delighted to be testing what will likely be a very important decarbonisation option for the maritime sector.”

The new trial comes on the heels of the first demonstration campaign onboard Seapeak Arwa, an LNG-powered LNG carrier chartered by TotalEnergies. The first campaign ended in February 2024, demonstrating a CO2 capture rate of 85%.

EverLoNG Project Coordinator, Marco Linders (TNO), commented: “On the back of a successful first testing campaign, we have high hopes for the Sleipnir demonstration, too. Again, this is an excellent example of international collaboration and is testament to the hard work of everyone involved. Emissions need to be reduced. EverLoNG is working hard to achieve that.”