Japan Completes Construction of First Demonstration LCO2 Transport Vessel

EXCOOL is the first vessel designed to demonstrate the transport of LCO2 (K Line)

PUBLISHED NOV 28, 2023 2:52 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

A Japanese R&D project for liquid carbon dioxide transportation has completed the construction of the first vessel designed for transportation as part of the plans for carbon capture and storage. The project addressed key challenges in designing the vessel and the containment systems and now plans to explore transportation and safe operations to lay the groundwork for the use of large LCO2 transport vessels. The Japanese government expects that carbon capture, transport, and storage will become fully operational by 2030 playing a key role in the country’s efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions. 

Named the EXCOOL, the 1,290 dwt vessel was built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding. The christening and handover ceremony took place today at the Shimonoseki Shipyard. The vessel is owned by Sanyu Kisen Kaisha, a Kobe-based ship management company, and is being chartered to Nippon Gas Line for the demonstration project.

The project was launched by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in June 2021 and they report having overcome key challenges in developing the technologies for liquified CO2 marine transport. Ochanomizu University studied the physical properties of CO2 under non-equilibrium conditions and the dry-ice phenomenon during marine transport. The Engineering Advancement Association (ENAA) of Japan expanded on initial research from NEDO, which had been studying the conceptual designs for CO2 transport since 2008. Nippon Gas, K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also contributed their experience in gas transport.

 

EXCOOL was handed over to the demonstration project which will use it to develop transport technologies (MHI)

 

The vessel was built with a tank, equipment, and handling system designed by ENAA. Construction of the vessel began in October 2022 and it was launched in March 2023. The completed vessel is 236 feet in length and has a cargo tank capacity of 1,450 cubic meters.

In the next phase of the demonstration project, the EXCOOL will be used to test the loading and transport of LCO2 to establish a technology for the large-volume and long-distance marine transport of liquefied CO2. Through the use of the vessel, they expect to improve the efficiency of transporting CO2 from capturing sites to remote storage sites. 

ENAA will continue to be responsible for the planning, analysis, and supervision of the demonstration tests. K Line has helped to prepare an operating manual by conducting a risk assessment of the EXCOOL and will continue to contribute to the establishment of safe operation technology and analysis of the operations. 

Japan’s demonstration project is proceeding as efforts are also underway to launch the first commercial CO2 transport and storage project. Northern Lights, a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, ordered LCO2 carrier vessels which are being built in China at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC). Ordered in late 2021, the first two vessels are under construction and due for delivery in 2024. These ships will be 426 feet long and have a capacity of 7,500 cbm of CO2. Northern Lights recently contracted for a third vessel also to be built at Dalin as the company moves forward towards its start of commercial operations. 

Azane and Amogy to Develop Ammonia Bunker Vessel

Bunker vessel to deliver ammonia to ocean going vessels (Azane Fuel Solutions)

PUBLISHED NOV 29, 2023 7:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Azane Fuel Solutions, a joint venture between ECONNECT Energy and Amon Maritime, is moving forward with the design of an ammonia bunker vessel to be used for fueling large vessels. They believe the vessel will be a key component in the efforts to decarbonize shipping and as part of their development project, they will also explore incorporating the ammonia-to-power system developed by U.S.-startup Amogy into the vessel.

The company was started to provide the infrastructure to support the use of ammonia in a variety of settings. Their first effort focused on a shore terminal and then they moved to a floating terminal barge. As the next step in the process that the company has been following in developing the infrastructure, they are now working on the designs for an ammonia bunker vessel.

Azane reports it has developed the designs for an ammonia fuel bunker vessel using a complete ammonia cargo handling system. The vessel is part of the company’s envisioned delivery system providing bunkering and loading done ship-to-ship either in a midsea anchorage or alongside when the vessel is berthed. The goal is to make it possible to fuel with the need to go to a dedicated bunkering quay. Azane plans to offer the ammonia bunker vessels to ports such as Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Singapore, or other key ports to support the introduction of ammonia.

The company reports it is now looking for solutions to enable carbon-free propulsion of the ammonia bunker vessel. Azane and Amogy have signed an MoU to explore the technical and commercial feasibility of using Amogy´s ammonia-to-power system on board an Azane-developed bunker vessel concept. The collaboration will also involve exploring the technical and commercial feasibility of using an Azane ammonia fuel feeder solution integrated into the Amogy power system.

Amogy`s ammonia-to-power solution aims to decarbonize the hard-to-abate sectors, including shipping, power generation, and heavy-duty transportation. The company, which has investors including Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, AP Ventures, SK Innovation, Aramco Ventures, and Mitsubishi, has demonstrated its ammonia power system on a drone and trucks. They are working to retrofit the solution to a tugboat as their first maritime demonstration.

“The reason for providing an ammonia bunker vessel is to help decarbonize the shipping industry. Because of this, we need a zero-emission solution to provide propulsion to our vessels. Amogy has a promising technology that can help us reach our strategic ambition of offering zero-emission bunker solutions for deep sea shipping,” says Håkon Skjerstad, CEO of Azane Fuel Solutions.

Amogy and Azane have agreed to explore the compatibility of their respective technologies and the commercial potential of the combined solutions. The aim is to cooperate on a subsequent pilot project to mature the bunker vessel with the ammonia-to-power solution for commercial applications. 

Maersk Commits to Large, Green Methanol Offtake Deal with China’s Goldwind

Maersk's first large methanol dual-fuel containership was floated by Hyundai in October (Maersk)

PUBLISHED NOV 22, 2023 2:54 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Maersk signed what the company is calling a milestone deal for the offtake of green methanol fuel from China for its fleet. It is the latest in a series of steps the carrier has taken over the past few years to build a global supply chain for green fuel as it prepares to launch its first class of methanol dual-fueled containerships and is exploring the conversion of existing ships to the fuel.

Maersk entered into a deal with China’s Goldwind, a company launched in 1998 focusing on wind power and expanding into a broader range of green energy. The companies are calling the deal which will provide Maersk with 500,000 metric tons of green methanol annually the “first large-scale green methanol offtake agreement for the global shipping industry.”

“We are encouraged by the agreement because its scale and price confirm our view that green methanol currently is the most viable low-emission solution for ocean shipping that can make a significant impact in this decade,” said Rabab Raafat Boulos, Chief Infrastructure Officer at A.P. Moller - Maersk. 

Both companies are positioning the deal as a landmark that further verifies the emerging role of green methanol as the leading alternative fuel for the shipping industry. Maersk introduced the first containership operating on methanol this fall and has 24 additional methanol vessels on order for delivery between 2024 and 2027. The company states it has a policy to only order new, owned vessels that come with a green fuel option. 

When the carrier ordered the first methanol ships, they said one of the biggest challenges would be building the supply chain to support the ship’s operations. The company now says the record-high volumes from this and other supply agreements can annually propel more than half the methanol-enabled capacity Maersk currently has on order.

HD Hyundai floated the first of Maersk’s large ocean-going methanol dual-fuel containerships on October 6 in South Korea. The vessels will be approximately 1,150 feet in length with a nearly 176-foot beam. The first vessels will have a capacity of 16,200 TEU.

The offtake agreement with Goldwind calls for volumes that will be a combined mix of green bio-methanol and e-methanol, all produced utilizing wind energy at a new production facility in Hinggan League, Northeast China. It is part of what Goldwind calls its “first world scale green chemical complex in Inner Mongolia.”

Goldwind is reported to be approaching a final investment decision for the facility which would be located more than 600 miles northeast of Beijing. Production is expected to begin in 2026. The company reports it will continue to explore the innovative application of new technologies, pursue the organic combination of green electricity and green fuel production, and optimize the production process of green methanol.

“Goldwind is committed to collaborating with companies involved in the green methanol industry, with the aim to make green methanol one of the most important and economically feasible clean maritime fuels in the future”, said Wu Gang, Chairman, Goldwind. 

Earlier this year, Goldwind highlighted that it achieved an important development milestone by exceeding 100 GW of global installed capacity. It became the first Chinese wind turbine manufacturer to reach this milestone.