Carbon capture project by Wah Kwong and Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute (SMDERI) receives Approval in Principle from Bureau Veritas

Approval in Principle follows joint study that confirms feasibility of retrofitting carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology onboard existing ships.

Paris La Défense, France – 21 June 2023: Bureau Veritas (BV), a world leader in testing, inspection and certification, has delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, a Hong Kong shipowner, and Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute (SMDERI), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project onboard two Wah Kwong vessels.

The AiP, which was delivered at a ceremony held at BV’s Shanghai office, follows a joint study led by BV, Wah Kwong and SMDERI, which validated the technical feasibility of using CCS technology on existing vessels.

Based on the specific design parameters of the vessels, SMDERI developed a customized design of a CCS unit for the two vessels. The CCS unit has passed laboratory tests, achieving over 85% CO2 capture from the exhaust gas flow, and is being continuously optimised and upgraded. The system is based on an organic amine solution which extracts CO2 from exhaust gas, before it is cooled into liquid form and stored in a low temperature storage tank.

The study also showed that CCS enabled the two vessels to remain compliant by maintaining their CII rating at a C level until 2030. It considered all aspects of retrofit space, operational impact, CAPEX and OPEX, as well as the upcoming EU ETS, to assess the future investment and revenue expectations for each vessel.