DNV issues carbon capture framework

The new framework, DNV RP 0698, ‘Performance of onboard carbon capture and storage systems’, establishes a harmonised methodology for assessing OCCS performance across a range of technologies.

Built around mass balance principles, it defines key metrics including capture rate, captured CO2 quantity, emissions to atmosphere and gross capture efficiency, while also providing a structured third-party verification process.

The guidance comes as shipowners seek practical pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing vessels. According to DNV, around 90% of the global operational fleet remains dependent on fossil fuels, making OCCS a potentially important tool for achieving emissions reductions where alternative low-carbon fuels are not yet commercially viable.

“OCCS has potential as a pathway for a large part of the existing fleet, and that matters given how long many of those vessels will remain in service,” said Cristina Saenz de Santa Maria, chief executive, Maritime at DNV.

“Our Maritime Forecast to 2050 estimates that developing CO2 offloading infrastructure at just 20 of the world’s largest ports could reduce total world fleet CO2 emissions by 9 per cent. With this recommended practice, we want to give the industry a shared technical language.”

The framework is technology-neutral and applies to pre-combustion, post-combustion, oxy-fuel and other carbon capture approaches, enabling stakeholders to compare performance using consistent criteria.

“This recommended practice provides a structured way to account for the full performance picture, not just capture volume,” said Chara Georgopoulou, head of Maritime R&D and Advisory Greece at DNV.

“It supports alignment between stakeholders early in system design and more informed investment and deployment decisions.”

The publication is expected to support ongoing industry development as the International Maritime Organization works toward formal OCCS guidelines by 2028.