ABS AiP granted for large LCO2 carrier design

The designs for vessels to carry and store liquified carbon dioxide (LCO₂) were developed by Petronas, MOL and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI). The Motorship notes that MOL and Petronas concluded a Memorandum of Understanding to study LCO₂ transportation for the Asia Pacific region in February 2022. The development is the latest in a string of moves that MOL has made to enter the LCO₂ transport market.

The designs for the 96,000cbm LCO₂ floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit and 87,000cbm LCO₂ carrier were reviewed in accordance with the latest ABS Rules.

MOL has been conducting a number of research projects in connection with the long-distance transport of CO₂. MOL began research into large-scale LCO₂ transportation in 2021 in response to a call for proposals by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the development of LCO₂ on a scale of up to 1 million tons a year.

“Safe and efficient transport and storage of LCO₂ is a developmental cornerstone of the carbon value chain, which has such a critical role to play in the energy transition. ABS is proud to be able to use our industry leading expertise in the development of LCO₂ carriers to support adoption of these important new assets with an unwavering focus on safety,” said Arnab Ghosh, ABS Vice President, Regional Business Development.

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 (CCS) value chain. The attainment of the AiPs further strengthens Petronas’ commitment to providing decarbonization solutions, aligned with our aspiration to establish Malaysia as a leading CCS hub in the region.”