EPS trials carbon capture

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CARBON CAPTURE • TRUE SUSTAINABILITY MEANS NOT ONLY REDUCING EMISSIONS BUT CAPTURING THEM FOR RE-USE. EASTERN PACIFIC IS INVESTIGATING JUST SUCH A CONCEPT

EASTERN PACIFIC SHIPPING (EPS), the Singapore-based ship operator, is to trial the use of onboard carbon capture technology on two of its medium-range (MR) product tankers in collaboration with Value Maritime (VM), a Rotterdam-based marine technology firm. According to EPS, the use of the system on the tankers Pacific Cobalt and Pacific Gold will make them the largest oceangoing vessels to be fitted with the technology. EPS hopes that the trial will prove the use of onboard carbon capture as a viable way of reducing emissions from shipping activities and it has already signed an option to equip three more of its vessels.

“Partnering with Value Maritime is a major step forward for EPS and the industry’s energy transition,” says Cyril Ducau, CEO of EPS. “Carbon capture technology was missing in our existing portfolio of emission lowering solutions, which today consists primarily of alternative marine fuels. We believe that carbon capture technology holds significant promise for reducing emissions for existing and future oceangoing vessels.

“Coupled with alternative fuels, biofuels and other solutions, carbon capture is a crucial step in accelerating the shipping industry’s decarbonisation efforts ahead of IMO targets,” Ducau adds. “After extensive research, we agreed that Value Maritime is the right partner to implement this solution and complement our own decarbonisation efforts. Their passion for innovation, existing infrastructure, and commitment to lowering emissions today is what we look for in a partner. By equipping our tankers with VM’s systems, we hope to prove to the industry that carbon capture is a viable and scalable option available right now.”

LET’S DO IT NOW Value Maritime’s Filtree System is a prefabricated gas cleaning unit that filters sulphur and 99 per cent of particulate matter from ships’ exhausts. The system to be fitted to the two 49,700-dwt, 2020-built tankers includes a carbon capture module, which charges an onboard CO2 ‘battery’; the charged battery will be discharged during port calls, with the captured CO2 being either used by consumer industries or injected into carbon sequestration networks. The discharged battery is then returned to the vessel. This ‘plug and play’ concept is expected to capture up to 40 per cent of CO2 emissions, with further development having the potential to increase that to 90 per cent in the future.

“Bringing our filtering and carbon capture technology to the tanker market has been a goal of ours from the very beginning,” says Maarten Lodewijks, director and co-founder of Value Maritime. “Realising this vision with forward-thinking partners like Eastern Pacific Shipping is a dream come true. Together, we are making sustainable shipping and emission reduction for this segment no longer a pipe-dream. It’s happening today, and we couldn’t be prouder that it’s happening with EPS.”

Installation of the first Filtree unit is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the second due in first quarter 2023.

In addition to its carbon capture capabilities, the Filtree System also removes oil residue and particulate matter from the wash water, ensuring its pH value is neutralised and contributing to reducing the acidification of seawater.

EPS and Value Maritime are also exploring future collaborations, which may include specifying the Filtree System for a series of new-generation containerships that EPS will be building. www.epshipping.com. www.valuemaritime.com