- Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Concludes Agreement on Construction of World’s First Demonstration Test Ship for Liquefied CO2 Transportation.
- Ship Will Integrate Company’s Liquefied Gas Handling Technologies, for Tomorrow’s Long-distance, High-volume LCO2 Transport Needs.
- The ship will serve for technology development and demonstration to realize high-volume CO2 transport.
- Part of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) project initiatives.
Tokyo, February 2, 2022 – Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a Yokohama-based member of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has concluded a contract with Sanyu Kisen Co., Ltd., a Kobe-based enterprise principally engaged in the management of ships navigation in Japanese as well as foreign waters, calling for the construction of a demonstration test ship to transport liquefied CO2 (LCO2) in conjunction with initiatives of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in ”CCUS R&D and Demonstration Related Project / Large-scale CCUS Demonstration in Tomakomai / Demonstration Project on CO2 Transportation / R&D and Demonstration Project for CO2 Marine Transportation” (the demonstration projects). Construction will get underway at the Enoura Plant of MHI’s Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works, with completion and delivery scheduled for the second half of fiscal 2023.
Vessel Overview
| Registration | Japan |
|---|---|
| Length overall | 72.0 m |
| Beam | 12.5 m |
| Draft | 4.55 m |
| Tank capacity | 1,450 m³ |
The Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA), one of the companies involved in the demonstration projects, will charter the ship from the subcontractor Sanyu Kisen and operate it for the duration of the project. Three additional project partners – Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE), Nippon Gas Line Co., Ltd., and Ochanomizu University – will accelerate R&D of the LCO2 transportation technology and contribute to the cost reduction of CCUS technology as well as safe, long-distance, and large-scale transportation of LCO2 under consignment from ENAA.
Although ships to carry LCO2 used in the food industry have previously been constructed and operated in Europe and Japan, the ship to be newly constructed is expected to be the world’s first LCO2 carrier intended specifically for CCUS. Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will be in charge of all aspects from the ship design through construction, including the cargo containment system, applying its gas handling technologies and expertise cultivated through the construction of liquefied gas carriers (both LPG and LNG types).
Today, CCUS is gaining traction as a viable approach to creating a carbon-neutral society. Because CO2 emissions sites are frequently located far from carbon use or storage locations, demand for LCO2 carriers that can convey their cargo securely and economically is likely to rise. MHI Group will strengthen its current strategic business focused on the energy transition by gaining knowledge from the construction of the world’s first LCO2 carrier constructed exclusively for CCUS. In order to contribute to the growth of the CO2 ecosystem, the Company will continue to develop and provide technologies related to LCO2 carriers that are required for the development of the CCUS value chain.
Below is a video demonstration of how an LCO2 carrier functions:
Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries