Onboard carbon capture for ships moves beyond pilots as ports and regulations lag behind

Onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) is moving from pilot projects toward commercial deployment in shipping. Solvang achieved a 70% capture rate on an ethylene carrier using chemical absorption. Value Maritime installed its amine-based system on bulk carriers, container ships, and tankers operated by Berge Bulk, Eastern Pacific Shipping, and MOL. Seabound hit 78% CO2 capture and over 90% SOx removal during a two-month sea trial on the Sounion Trader and has since made its first full-scale commercial installation on a cement carrier. Port infrastructure remains the bottleneck. The LR report notes reception capacity depends on a very small number of northern European ports, with facilities largely absent from the US, Asia, and the Middle East. Regulatory frameworks also lag. The IMO's EEXI, EEDI, and CII do not include methodologies to account for OCCS. FuelEU Maritime is still awaiting updates before the technology can be credited. As the LR report puts it, the absence of explicit OCCS accounting erodes the near-term business case even where capture is technically feasible. Other alt fuel developments this week include Peninsula and Itochu forming a joint venture for ammonia bunkering in Europe, Evos and HyFive exploring e-methanol storage in Rotterdam, and ACME signing a long-term deal with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical for 100,000 mt/year of e-methanol from 2030. Quebec is funding shore power infrastructure for cruise and cargo ships at the Port of Quebec with CAD 5 million, with operations scheduled for 2028.