Leading ship operators are implementing carbon capture technologies as part of comprehensive decarbonisation strategies, according to presentations at the Maritime Decarbonisation Conference in Asia
Berge Bulk technical director Paolo Tonon outlined the company’s four-pillar “Maritime Marshall Plan”, which includes efficiency improvements, technology testing, alternative fuels and carbon capture.
“Carbon capturing is good because it’s an integration technology,” Mr Tonon explained. “You can integrate your scrubbing technology, particulate matters and SCR. The flexibility carbon capturing offers is really quite big.”
Berge Bulk recently installed its first carbon capture system, an amine-based solution that sequestrates CO2 from exhaust gases in a second scrubbing tower.
Managing director of Langh Group, Laura Langh-Lagerlöf, presented an alternative approach using caustic soda rather than amines. “From the discovery process, we know caustic soda starts to react with CO2 if you have a high concentration in the closed-loop process water,” she noted. Langh Group’s system, already installed on a vessel with regular port calls, transforms caustic soda into sodium carbonate (soda ash) which is then discharged ashore for reuse in industrial applications.
Bureau Veritas’ Ashish Kumar highlighted carbon capture’s unique position in decarbonisation efforts. “The main benefit is it’s currently available,” he stated, contrasting it with alternative fuels facing supply and infrastructure challenges. “It’s a lot more retrofit-friendly,” he added, comparing it with scrubber systems that many vessels already use.
The panel addressed several implementation challenges, including energy penalties, storage constraints and port reception infrastructure. Ms Langh-Lagerlöf acknowledged volumetric inefficiency concerns but emphasised their prioritisation of simplicity, “We don’t separate the CO2 on board to save energy on the ship.”
Mr Kumar addressed the carbon accounting methodology, stating, “As long as there’s emissions reduction, that will be accepted by the wider community… if we can have a 20-30% overall reduction in a lifecycle perspective that is captured, not shifting emissions, but removing CO2 from the atmosphere.”
Regulatory frameworks remain under development, with companies urging accelerated integration of carbon capture into emissions-reporting systems. “We should implement soonest to take into account carbon capture in MRV reporting and CII everywhere,” Ms Langh-Lagerlöf advocated, “so that we truly reduce emissions rather than just paying for them.”
The business case continues to strengthen, with Mr Tonon reporting investment payback periods “well below four years” for Berge Bulk’s system, even without current regulatory incentives for captured carbon.
