Container ship operator Samskip is making carbon capture a key part of its integrated plan for decarbonising shipping, after choosing the Value Maritime ‘Filtree’ gas cleaning solution for the container ships ‘Samskip Innovator’ and ‘Samskip Endeavour’.
Each installation will feature a gas cleaning unit behind the funnel, with recovered CO2 pumped to a ‘battery’ housed in containers carried on deck. For ships running on conventional marine fuels, the Filtree system captures 30% or more of CO2 emissions, providing owners with a direct response to coming GHG restrictions. Carbon capture is complementary to other parts of Samskip’s maturing strategy for decarbonisation.
Erik Hofmeester, Head of Vessel Management, Samskip, said: “We work closely with freight owners who prioritise sustainability and whose end consumers hold them to account. Samskip Innovator and Samskip Endeavour, for example, run between the UK and the Netherlands on bio-fuels, which already cut CO2 by 90%. Using the Filtree system in addition will allow us to offer our first carbon neutral shortsea services.”
Other strands of Samskip’s sustainability strategy include a joint project with Ocean Infinity to build two emission-free ‘SeaShuttle’ ships powered by 3.2MW hydrogen fuel cells, and a battery-powered barge initiative.
Value Maritime has developed its Filtree technology as a prefabricated, pre-installed gas cleaning system for ships which removes sulphur, particulate matter and CO2. The system also neutralises the PH value of wash water, removing oil residues and ultra-fine particles.
Laurens Visser, Commercial Manager, Value Maritime, said: “Ship operators can remain compliant while using lower cost, higher-sulphur fuel, for example. Others may be planning ahead for future regulations on CO₂ and want to ensure that the technology they choose has been proven in service.”
Due for commissioning in early 2023, each Samskip installation will feature a gas cleaning unit behind the ship funnel, with recovered CO2 pumped to a 10MW CO2 battery set housed in ISO tank containers and carried on deck. Charged during the voyage, these batteries are unloaded in port, with Value Maritime trucking them to CO2 consumers such as greenhouses for discharge, then returning them empty for the next voyage.
Hofmeester concluded: “We haven’t seen anything like Filtree carbon capture technology out there, but reusing the CO2 by delivering it to greenhouses – that’s something really special. It’s an elegant system which redelivers CO2 for natural absorption.”
