During maintenance operations in Spain, a TotalEnergies-owned LNG carrier – also fueled by LNG – underwent the installation of a prototype ship-based carbon capture (SBCC) technology. The carbon capture apparatus, developed by Carbotreat in the Netherlands, was incorporated into the vessel as a part of the EverLoNG initiative.

Led by Dutch research and development organization, TNO, the project aims to validate the viability of ship-based carbon capture technology and to capture carbon dioxide emissions from the vessel’s exhaust. The installation was completed in July.

The consortium overseeing the project intends to capture ten metric tons of carbon dioxide onboard the LNG carrier over 3000 hours, constituting a trial phase.

The trial is expected to provide insights into the environmental impact of emissions, the correlation between vessel motion and collection efficiency, and the behavior of the collection solvent, and its potential degradation.

The captured carbon dioxide will be stored in a pressurized container on board the ship – in liquid form – with subsequent options including unloading and conveyance to an industrial facility, or permanent subterranean storage.

If the use of the system onboard the TotalEnergies LNG carrier is successful, the carbon capture technology will be fitted on Heerema’s LNG-powered Sleipnir crane ship.

The second phase of the project – which is scheduled to span 500 hours – will provide data for a comparative assessment of the carbon capture technology’s effectiveness on both vessels. The main aim of the project is to achieve a 70% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from vessels, with a focus on those using LNG as a fuel without SBCC technology.