Going for zero by 2030?
THE 22nd edition of Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (Sibcon) takes place at Sentosa from Oct 4-7.
Much has changed since the first Sibcon. I’m sure I reported on it but a trawl though Google failed to establish the exact year of that first one. What I am sure of, however, is that Singapore’s bunkering industry is very different now. And that is thanks to the efforts of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to ensure not only that the port kept top position as bunkering hub but has also led the world in terms of licensing and regulation.
Another big difference is that the over-arching issue facing the the shipping and bunkering industries is how to implement decarbonisation, or perhaps more accurately how to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
So it is not surprising that Sibcon 2022 has the theme “Driving the Transformation of Marine Fuels”. No doubt, developing alternative fuels will be the focus of much of the discussion.
It will be interesting to see, though, how much attention is paid to carbon capture. For some time now my email in box has been getting a steady stream of press releases on developments of this technology, which not so long ago had largely been dismissed as impractical in general and in particular at sea.
US-based classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) recently pointed out that “current industry research indicates that onboard carbon capture will be an important factor in reaching the IMO’s 2030 and 2050 emissions reduction targets”.
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It adds: “Although onboard carbon capture systems are still being piloted, we expect increased activity over the course of the next decade, especially as discussions on global carbon markets advance.”
ABS has just published a report, “Insights into Onboard Carbon Capture”, that discusses the current regulatory landscape surrounding this new technology and outlines the methods of onboard carbon capture including incorporation into existing equipment, such as scrubbers. The publication also covers carbon handling and storage, downstream considerations as well as some of the latest ongoing activities surrounding this technology
The report does go into some detail and is worth reading, but there are in fact many indications that carbon capture will soon be beyond the pilot stage.
For example Northern European shortsea vessel operator Samskip has just announced it is “making carbon capture a key part of its integrated plan for decarbonising shipping”. It is installing the Value Maritime Filtree gas cleaning system on its container ships Samskip Innovator and Samskip Endeavour.
For ships running on conventional marine fuels, the system captures 30 percent or more of CO2 emissions, providing owners with a direct response to coming restrictions on greenhouse gasses. Carbon capture is complementary to other parts of Samskip’s maturing strategy for decarbonisation.
“We work closely with freight owners who prioritise sustainability and whose end consumers hold them to account,” said Erik Hofmeester, Head of Vessel Management, Samskip. “Samskip Innovator and Samskip Endeavour, for example, run between the UK and the Netherlands on bio-fuels, which already cut CO2 by 90 per cent. Using the Filtree system in addition will allow us to offer our first carbon neutral shortsea services.”
Due for commissioning in early 2023, each Samskip installation will feature a gas cleaning unit behind the ship funnel, with recovered CO2 pumped to a 10MW CO2 battery set housed in ISO tank containers and carried on deck. Charged during the voyage, these batteries are unloaded in port, with Value Maritime trucking them to CO2 consumers such as greenhouses for discharge, then returning them empty for the next voyage.
This touches on a crucial issue. If carbon capture is to become widespread, CO2 storage options and commercial applications for large quantities of CO2 will have to be as well.
Value Maritime’s commercial manager Laurens Visser said: “Ship operators can remain compliant while using lower cost, higher-sulphur fuel, for example. Others may be planning ahead for future regulations on CO2 and want to ensure that the technology they choose has been proven in service. Carbon capture technology can make a significant contribution for owners seeking to reduce their carbon footprints now. We are making a ‘green circle’ for shipowners and freight shippers by recycling the CO2, and offering certificated accountability on greenhouse gas reductions.”
This particular system is currently only available for relatively small ships and achieves a modest 30 percent capture rate.
However the technology is being developed rapidly. Japan’s “Carbon Capture on the Ocean” (CC-Ocean) project is being undertaken by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and classification society ClassNK. This has produced the world’s first marine-based CO2 capture system on actual voyage to successfully separate and capture CO2 from flue gas, with the captured CO2 having a purity of greater than 99 percent.
Many other carbon capture projects are underway, to the extent that it looks entirely plausible that ships could use this technology to achieve zero GHG emissions by 2030. But for that to happen the International Maritime Organization (IMO) would have to introduce a simple regulatory framework that imposes a deadline for banning GHG emissions from ships. This approach has worked with previous major challenges the UN Agency has had to respond to. Why should this be different?
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