Stena Image, the second out of 10 sister ships ordered from the Guangzhou Shipyard in China. Built 2015. Photo courtesy of Stena Bulk

As the shipping industry looks for ways to reduce its carbon footprint, one of the methods that is being explored is carbon capture. To explore this, anewpartnershiphas been created betweenOGCI, a voluntary initiative led by global oil and gas companies to accelerate the industry response to climate change andthe tanker company Stena Bulk, a leading international tanker owner and operator.

They are collaborating on a feasibility study to evaluate the technical and economic challenges involved when capturing carbon dioxide onboard ships while at sea.

The project is in part an extension to OGCI member Aramco’s work that successfully demonstrated carbon capture onboard heavy-duty trucks, but also aims to provide necessary research on a solution that might help shipping reach its target to cut emissions by 50% relative to 2008 levels by 2050. Funded by the OGCI, the project brings together OGCI member companies’ expertise in carbon capture technologies, carbon dioxide handling, and relevant infrastructure with Stena Bulk’s shipping, trading, and naval engineering knowledge and experience.

 “It’s increasingly evident that we need to evaluate as many potential solutions as possible that might help decarbonize the industry. Carbon capture might be such a solution with the potential to play a key role in this transition, and this feasibility study presents a unique opportunity for us to work with some of our key customers to understand and assess the technical and economic challenges involved in making carbon capture work onboard vessels,” said Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk.

Michael Traver, Head of the Transport Workstream at OGCI commented: “Carbon capture will play an important role in reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions, but there’s no reason it needs to be limited to stationary applications. Expanding carbon capture to long-distance marine shipping could help accelerate its use, while addressing a difficult to abate sector of the transport industry.”

Funded by the OGCI, the study joins several other initiatives underway that are also exploring carbon capture for the shipping industry.