ICS report: onboard carbon capture faces space, retrofit, and reception facility hurdles

A new report from Lloyd’s Register for the International Chamber of Shipping finds that onboard CO2 capture (OCCS) is technically feasible but faces serious practical barriers. Retrofits often require deck reinforcement, hazardous-area segregation, and routing redesign. Tankers and gas carriers are the most suited for retrofits, while liner trades have an advantage over tramp ships due to scheduled port stops. The report also flags a lack of reception facilities to handle captured CO2 once it reaches shore. Space constraints onboard and the absence of a downstream CO2 offloading infrastructure remain the biggest obstacles. Without investment in port reception and storage, OCCS will struggle to scale. The findings reinforce that capture technology alone is not enough; the full value chain from ship to storage must be built out for maritime decarbonization to move forward.