PETRONAS, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) have attained four Approvals in Principle (AiPs) for their jointly developed liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) carriers and LCO2 floating storage and offloading unit (FSO).
The approvals were awarded by the classification societies Det Norsk Veritas AS (DNV) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The AiPs indicate that the classification societies have reviewed and approved the basic design of the LCO2 carriers as well as the FSO, as they fulfill the technical requirements and safety criteria.
Datuk Adif Zulkifli, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Upstream PETRONAS said, “LCO2 carriers for CO2 transportation play a key role in the Carbon Capture and Storage value chain. The attainment of the AiPs further strengthens PETRONAS’ commitment in providing decarbonisation solutions, aligned with our aspiration to establish Malaysia as a leading CCS hub in the region.”
Nobuo Shiotsu, Senior Managing Executive Officer of MOL said, “MOL is pleased with our achievement of the various designs of the LCO2 carrier and FSO in cooperation with PETRONAS and SDARI. Development on a large scale is an essential step for the CCS value chain within the Asia Pacific and Oceania region. Through the newly acquired AiP, MOL will further accelerate this initiative on the CO2 transport business as part of our effort to reduce society's overall GHG emissions.”
Zhou Zhiyong, Vice President of SDARI said, “SDARI is delighted to join this innovative project with PETRONAS and MOL. The concepts will be essential to LCO2 transportation and operation, and will boost CCS development in the maritime industry.”
The two AiPs from DNV are for a short-haul LCO2 carrier with the capacity of 14,000 m3 and a long-haul LCO2 carrier with the capacity of 87,000 m3. The other two AiPs from ABS are for an 87,000 m3 LCO2 carrier with Dynamic Positioning System, and a 96,000 m3 LCO2 FSO for intermediate storage.
The 14,000 m3 LCO2 carrier is presently the world’s largest design with AiP for medium temperature and medium pressure conditions, while the 87,000 m3 LCO2 carrier and 96,000 m3 LCO2 FSO are presently the world’s largest designs with AiP for low temperature and low temperature conditions. The large capacities enable a more competitive unit rate for LCO2 marine transportation.
For PETRONAS, collaboration with industry partners is part of its deliberate steps to accelerate the delivery of effective solutions with lower carbon footprints, in line with its aspiration to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050.