Modular Carbon Capture, Storage and Offtake in the Maritime Shipping Industry

There are increasingly important legislative, social, and environmental factors motivating reductions in man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The maritime shipping industry presently contributes about 3% of global CO2 emissions and has made little progress towards the International Maritime Organization (IMO) goal of reducing emissions to 50% of their 2008 level by 2050. The lack of progress in decarbonization efforts combined with the growth of the shipping industry yield projections that shipping may contribute as much as 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. It is currently unclear whether incremental improvements in conventional carbon capture technologies can enable cost effective maritime carbon capture, storage, and offtake. Luna Labs is developing a dual-phase membrane technology as a fundamentally new alternative with advantages that are uniquely suited for the constraints of a maritime application. Luna Labsĺ FlueCO2 membranes separate CO2 from exhaust gases so efficiently that capture rates as high as 90% can be achieved in relatively small volumes and footprints. Powered by a simple steam loop, these modular membranes have minimal parasitic energy costs and can respond flexibly to the shipsĺ energy demands. In this project, the FlueCO2 carbon capture and storage process that is being developed for natural gas combined cycle power plants will be modified to assess its technical viability and economic competitiveness in maritime applications. The project will focus on process development and post-combustion capture of CO2 in heavy fuel oil powered container ships using two-stroke reciprocating engines. A detailed process flow diagram will be developed and opportunities for integration into each vesselsĺ power generation process will be analyzed. The final process will produce equipment sizing, heat and mass balances, and an energy performance analysis. These results will be used to produce a techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis with a target of reducing the cost projections of maritime carbon capture from over $100/tonne with state of the art for solvent-based technologies to <$75/tonne. By reducing the cost of maritime carbon capture, the FlueCO2 process will enable the shipping industry to meet its 2050 emissions targets. The development and domestic manufacture of cost-effective maritime carbon capture and storage systems would position the United States as a world leader for decarbonization of the shipping industry. The capture and storage of CO2 will benefit the US public by reducing greenhouse effects on the climate. Climate change models indicate that increased anthropogenic emissions of CO2 will lead to greater extremes in weather, including droughts, flooding, and more severe storms.