Value Maritime-led Onboard Carbon Capture Project Aims to Capture 80% of CO2 Emissions

Dutch consortium plans to develop, construct and install a new modular onboard carbon capture system and demonstrate it on an LNG-fuelled ship

A consortium of eight maritime partners, backed by new funding, will develop, build and demonstrate an onboard carbon capture system that aims to collect more than 80% of the CO2 emissions from an LNG-fuelled ship.

Christiaan Nijst, Value Maritime Group co-founder and director, said the Netherlands’ Maritime Masterplan 2024 funding “provides an important stimulus to the Maritime Efficient & Easy Carbon Capture (ME2CC) project. “The combination of low costs for shipping companies and the compact, modular nature of this solution makes it highly scalable and widely applicable. This initiative underscores our commitment to driving meaningful change in the maritime industry,” he added.

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Through a combination of public and private funding, the Maritime Masterplan Plan wants to stimulate the development, construction and operation of 40 ‘climate-neutral ships’ that operate on LNG, methanol and hydrogen in combination with an onboard carbon capture (OCC) system.

A consortium of eight maritime partners, backed by new funding, will develop, build and demonstrate an onboard carbon capture system that aims to collect more than 80% of the CO2 emissions from an LNG-fuelled ship.

Christiaan Nijst, Value Maritime Group co-founder and director, said the Netherlands’ Maritime Masterplan 2024 funding “provides an important stimulus to the Maritime Efficient & Easy Carbon Capture (ME2CC) project. “The combination of low costs for shipping companies and the compact, modular nature of this solution makes it highly scalable and widely applicable. This initiative underscores our commitment to driving meaningful change in the maritime industry,” he added.

Through a combination of public and private funding, the Maritime Masterplan Plan wants to stimulate the development, construction and operation of 40 ‘climate-neutral ships’ that operate on LNG, methanol and hydrogen in combination with an onboard carbon capture (OCC) system.

ME2CC Project Details

Plans under the ME2CC project call for a new modular, compact OCC system to be fitted on board 2015-built, LNG-fuelled roro vessel Samskip Kvitbjorn, which operates on a fixed environmentally sensitive route from Rotterdam along the Norwegian west coast to Hammerfest, Norway.

A Value Maritime spokesperson divulged some additional details about the project to Marine Propulsion, noting land-based testing will begin in the coming months. "We will then start building the onboard equipment by the end of this year,” she said, adding the goal is to capture “80%+” of the ship’s CO2 emissions.

The ME2CC consortium, headed by Value Maritime, consists of Samskip Holding, B2B Marine, Fusie Engineers, Devoteq, Brusche Process Technology, Heatmaster, and Yard Energy Group. The partners are building on lessons learned from the first small-scale OCC system, installed aboard Visser Shipping’s 1,036-TEU container ship Nordica two years ago.

The ME2CC project is backed by funding from each of the consortium partners and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Scalable OCC Technology

The goal of the ME2CC project is to create a scalable, compact OCC system that utilises patented techniques to reduce the system’s height and footprint by up to one-third compared with existing absorption technologies, while maintaining low pressure drop, according to Value Maritime.

It said, “This innovative approach, combined with the use of hot flue gas for onboard electricity generation, enhances both operational efficiency and emissions reduction.”

Once the CO2 is captured, it will be offloaded in port and transported to land-based CO2 hubs. These hubs are vital in the development of onshore carbon capture infrastructure. They utilise economies of scale and renewable electricity to regenerate the CO2, improving system efficiency and minimising costs and environmental impact. The processed CO2 will be prepared for valuable downstream applications, including use in agriculture and other industries.

“We have spent years actively pursuing sustainable solutions across our fleet, and retrofitting Samskip Kvitbjorn aligns perfectly with our vision for the future of shipping,” said Erik Hofmeester, Samskip head of vessel management. “Working alongside Value Maritime and the ME2CC consortium members, we are ensuring Samskip Kvitbjorn meets the low-emissions requirements set by the EU and Norwegian authorities, all while continuing to provide reliable service for our customers.”

About Value Maritime

Value Maritime is a leading provider of carbon reduction solutions for the maritime sector, offering modular and scalable technology to reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency.