Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has been working in cooperation with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), to conduct test operations and measurements for a small scale demonstration plant of the “Marine-based CO2 Capture System”, in order to verify the equipment’s use. The equipment has now been installed on board the CORONA UTILITY, a coal carrier for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. operated by “K” Line, at MHI’s Honmoku Plant at the Yokohama Dockyard & Machinery Works.
This project is being conducted with support from the Maritime Bureau of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), as part of its assistance project for research and development of technological advancements in marine resource development. The demonstration involves converting the design of an existing CO2 capture system for onshore power plants to a marine environment, and installing it on board an actual ship in service. This project, called “Carbon Capture on the Ocean” (CC-Ocean), is intended to achieve CO2 capture at sea, a world first.
Specialist Mitsubishi Shipbuilding engineers will travel on the ship during its voyage, providing commissioning of the compact CO2 capture demonstration plant, and conducting performance evaluation assessments while at sea, as well as analysis of the separated and recovered CO2. By the end of fiscal 2021, MHI and “K” Line will conduct verification tests with the ship crew operating the demo plant, and evaluate its safety and operability, with the aim of practical application of the system as a marine-based, compact CO2 recovery system.
This is the world's first demonstration test to be conducted during actual ocean navigation. The knowledge gained will be used for future development of technologies and systems to capture CO2 from the exhaust gases of marine equipment and ships. Further, the captured CO2 can be recycled for use as raw material in synthetic fuel, providing a significant contribution to reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, amid rising awareness of decarbonization globally since the enactment of the Paris Agreement, is continuing its efforts to find solutions for reducing GHG emissions from ships and marine equipment, and is contributing to environmental conservation. This project is part of MHI Group’s initiative for energy transformation (shift to energy with a low environmental load), and will contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality on a global scale.
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, logistics & infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world.