Vessel-Based Carbon Capture

Wärtsilä, MAN Energy Solutions, research institute SINTEF, and Norwegian shipping company Solvang are working on a new pilot that will test out onboard carbon capture and storage. The Clipper Eris, the first ship outfitted with this advanced technology, features a seven-megawatt carbon capture system supplied by Wärtsilä. This system uses cutting-edge amine scrubber technology to extract approximately 70% of the CO2 from the main engine’s exhaust gases. Once captured, the CO2 is chilled, liquefied, and stored in specialized tanks on the vessel, ready for safe offloading at designated facilities.

The year-long pilot project will rigorously evaluate the system’s performance under real-world conditions, providing critical insights into its operational efficiency and scalability. If successful, this breakthrough could pave the way for widespread adoption of onboard CCS technology, offering the shipping industry a viable pathway to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Image Credit: Solvang