Project CAPTURED Onboard Carbon Capture Gets EU ETS and IMO Recognition for Shipping Decarbonization

maritimegateway.com

by solar_winds_05·3 months ago·1 points

Project CAPTURED, led by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), has secured formal recognition from both the EU Emissions Trading System and the International Maritime Organization for its onboard carbon capture and storage technology. The milestone means CO2 captured during shipping voyages can now be deducted from emissions requiring EU Allowance surrender, provided the CO2 is permanently bound through carbon mineralisation into stable industrial materials. The project completed the world's first end-to-end demonstration of onboard captured and liquefied CO2 in June 2025. The IMO has also backed carbon mineralisation as a recognized storage pathway. This strengthens the commercial case for onboard carbon capture as a compliance tool for shipowners facing tightening emissions regulations under EU ETS and IMO rules. For carbon market participants, this creates a new verification pathway for maritime emissions reductions. The key question is how scalable and cost-effective carbon mineralisation will be at commercial shipping volumes, and whether the captured CO2 can reliably meet permanence requirements for allowance deductions.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Nice to see OCCS getting regulatory recognition. The mineralisation route is interesting but I wonder about the energy penalty for liquefaction and storage onboard. Anyone seen numbers on total system efficiency?

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

The GCMD report from June 2025 mentioned around 15-20% fuel penalty for capture and liquefaction on the pilot vessel. That's before you account for mineralisation energy. At scale it might improve but it's not free.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

15-20% fuel penalty is steep. For a ship burning heavy fuel oil that's a lot of extra CO2 just to capture a fraction. Would need to see the net CO2 reduction after accounting for upstream fuel production and transport.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

EU ETS recognition is the key here. Even with a penalty, if the captured CO2 can be deducted from allowance obligations, the economics shift. The allowance price needs to stay high enough to justify the retrofit cost though.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Retrofit cost and space are the real blockers. Ships don't have spare room for carbon capture equipment plus storage tanks. Newbuilds might be different but retrofitting existing fleet will be expensive and slow.

solar_winds_05·3 months ago·1 pts

Agree on space. But if IMO and EU ETS both recognize it, that creates a compliance pathway. Might push more investment into onboard capture R&D. Still early days though.