On May 10, the Reception Ceremony for the First Tank of Liquid Carbon Dioxide of the World's First Full-process Shipborne Carbon Capture System & Exchange Conference was held in Shanghai. Shanghai Qiyao Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., affiliated to China State Shipbuilding Corporation, officially delivered the first tank of liquid carbon dioxide unloaded onshore to the user. This marked the world's first completion of a full-process ecological closed loop of "carbon dioxide capture - liquefaction and storage - onshore unloading - transportation - reuse" via shipborne carbon capture technology, serving as a milestone case for the shipborne carbon capture industry.
The Onboard Carbon Capture System (OCCS) adopts organic amine cyclic adsorption technology. It adsorbs carbon dioxide contained in ship exhaust gas, followed by separation, compression and liquefaction processes, and finally stores carbon dioxide in liquid form with a purity of over 99.5%.
Captures 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide per hour
On April 30, a 14,000 TEU large container vessel equipped with the world's first full-process Onboard Carbon Capture System (OCCS) docked at Yangshan Port in Shanghai and successfully completed the shore unloading of liquid carbon dioxide (LCO₂). Qiyao Environmental retrofitted the 14,000 TEU large container ship with a "desulfurization + carbon capture system" and delivered an integrated desulfurization and decarbonization solution. The carbon capture tower boasts a CO₂ absorption rate of over 80%, with a maximum carbon capture capacity of 6.4 tons of carbon dioxide per hour. Following the retrofit, the vessel can continue to use conventional high-sulfur marine fuel oil while cutting carbon emissions. It is projected to generate over 8 million US dollars in annual economic benefits for the shipowner. Meanwhile, its Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating will be upgraded to Grade C, and the service life of the ship will be extended by no less than 12 years.
Against the backdrop that the sustainable development of green shipping has increasingly become a global consensus, onboard carbon capture technology has garnered extensive attention across the maritime industry. Prospects for Low-Carbon Shipping Development 2023, published by China Classification Society (CCS) based on its latest research findings, states that alongside alternative fuels such as liquefied natural gas, methanol and ammonia, the Onboard Carbon Capture System (OCCS) is a strategic technology poised to deliver large-scale decarbonization in the shipping sector, holding great potential to drastically slash carbon emissions from maritime transportation.
