‘World’s largest LCO2 carrier’ launched at HD Hyundai for Capital Gas

Calling it “the world’s largest liquefied carbon dioxide carrier,” Capital Gas Management reported the launching of Active at HD Hyundai Mipo in South Korea.

Being constructed to Lloyd’s Register class, Active is owned by Ikaros Carriers Corp and managed by Capital Gas Ship Management, and will be capable of transporting liquefied CO2, LPG, ammonia and vinyl chloride monomer in IMO Type C storage tanks.

Active’s design will allow it to transport CO2 to storage facilities for sequestration or further usage.

One of four 22,000-m³ low-pressure LCO2 carriers ordered from HD Hyundai Mipo for delivery in 2026, this Marshall Islands-flag vessel will be fitted with a pioneering carbon capture and storage (CCS) system under an agreement between Capital Gas, Erma First and Babcock.

The Erma First Carbon Fit system received approvals in principle from both Lloyd’s Register and DNV. It uses amine absorption technology based on a proprietary amine solvent to absorb CO2 from flue gases. The resultant mix is then heated to produce a chemical reaction that reverses the absorption, separating the CO2 from the solvent. Subsequently, the released CO2 is liquefied using Babcock LGE’s ecoCO2 system and stored on board the ship in pressurised low-temperature storage for subsequent offloading. Since the regenerated solvent can be reused, the process creates a highly efficient regenerative loop for CCS, according to the developers.