Scrubber manufacturer Langh Tech is researching carbon capture on board vessels
To meet CO2 emissions regulations and to improve maritime decarbonisation, Langh Tech has successfully performed the first tests on board a vessel in sister company Langh Ship’s fleet, using the existing hybrid scrubber installed on board.
Langh Tech conducted several preliminary tests of capturing CO2 emitted by a vessel’s main engine by using the Langh Tech closed-loop SOx scrubber system. In the tests, additional alkali was added to the scrubber closed-loop process water to provoke a reaction between the alkali and CO2, effectively capturing the CO2 from the exhaust gas into the process water.
The setup of tests was limited by the capacity of the existing alkali pump, but positive results were observed even with only a slight increase in the alkali dosing. At a main engine load of approximately 85%, a 5% increase in alkali dosing over the normal level was able to reduce the measured CO2 emissions by 3,3%. At 40% main engine load, a CO2 emissions reduction of nearly 7% was observed.
Alkali consumption remained at a reasonable level during the tests to ensure the operating expenses of the vessel would remain feasible. Langh Tech said the results of the tests are regarded as a tentative proof of concept, and additional tests with further increased alkali feed shall be conducted to verify this.
The company believes the CO2 capture feature can be applied to any Langh Tech closed-loop or hybrid scrubber systems at a relatively low cost, and only minor changes to the existing scrubber system. The process can be performed with readily available alkali products (like NaOH and MgOH2) which are both already being used in many SOx scrubber processes.
Langh Tech is also researching methods of extracting the captured CO2 from the process water and looking for ways to store and utilise the captured CO2 efficiently both on board vessels and upon possible discharge to shore.
Carbon capture is increasingly seen as a crucial technology in helping the maritime sector decarbonise. Earlier this year, Japan’s National Maritime Research Institute successfully captured onboard carbon emissions in a real-world trial using an Alfa Laval scrubber on a newbuilding.
Langh Tech’s competitors Yara Marine and Wärtsilä are also exploring CCS technology, and Wärtsilä is installing a 1-MW pilot plant at its test facility in Moss, Norway, which will allow the company to trial its CCS technologies in a wide range of scenarios.
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