Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has decided to equip its LR1 product tanker Nexus Victoria (75,000 DWT class) with the "Filtree System," an onboard CO2 capture system with a SOx scrubber manufactured by Value Maritime B.V. (VM), a Dutch emission reducing technology company. This marks the first time a Japanese operator has commercially installed a CO2 capture system onboard a vessel. The system is slated for installation around the end of 2024, according to the company's release.
The Filtree System has a scrubber function that removes 99% of sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) contained in exhaust gases and a carbon capture and storage (CCS) function that separates and recovers up to 10% of CO2 from the exhaust emissions. CO2 in the exhaust gases generated onboard the vessel is adsorbed and captured by reacting with a special chemical substance. The chemical will be discharged ashore, and the heat-separated CO2 can be supplied to greenhouses, synthetic fuel companies and other end users before being put to good use.
The MOL Group has positioned its environmental strategy as a key element of its "BLUE ACTION 2035" management plan, and set the target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 in the "MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2." The Filtree System is a technology that separates and captures CO2 emitted from the vessel and is expected to be an effective means of carbon neutralization in the shipping industry. This system is noteworthy as an initiative to promote decarbonization of existing vessels, which are difficult to convert to next-generation fuels. MOL and VM will continue working toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society by reducing GHG emissions from vessels and building a CO2 capture value chain.