Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Christens Liquefied CO2 Ship

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has held a christening and handover ceremony for a demonstration test ship to transport liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).

The ship will be used for the "CCUS R&D and Demonstration Related Project / Large-scale CCUS Demonstration in Tomakomai / Demonstration Project on CO2 Transportation" being conducted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

The ceremony took place at the Enoura Plant of MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the presence of the ship owner Sanyu Kisen.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is gaining attention, but because the sources of CO2 emissions are often located distant from the sites selected for carbon utilization or storage, demand is expected to increase for LCO2 carriers able to transport such cargo safely and economically. MHI Group utilized its expertise and advanced gas handling technologies cultivated through the construction of liquefied gas carriers (both LPG and LNG types) to handle the entire design and construction of the vessel, including the cargo containment system.

The vessel, named EXCOOL, will be chartered by Nippon Gas Line which is jointly conducting the NEDO project, to collect and analyze operational data through CO2 transportation demonstration tests. In addition, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) and Ochanomizu University will be commissioned by the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA), one of the consignees for the NEDO demonstration projects, as subcontractors to conduct safety assessments of LCO2 transportation operations. The organisation will also research the ship's LCO2 pressure control and stability and develop technologies for safe and low-cost CO2 transport.