CLASSNK has announced it has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a design concept for a coastal liquefied CO2 carrier, jointly developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. and Nippon Gas Line Co.
The parties involved in the AiP believe demand for LCO2 carriers is expected to grow in tandem with CCS (carbon dioxide capture and storage) projects involving marine transport of CO2 captured in Japan.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and NGL received the AiP following a jointly conducted concept study on low-pressure type coastal LCO2 carriers, assuming their use for transport from small-scale CO2 capture sites mainly in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea area to base site toward overseas storage sites.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding confirmed the LCO2 carrier receiving the newly acquired AiP is a versatile small-sized ship designed for use in domestic seas.
ClassNK said the AiP represents a step toward realising the supply of coastal liquefied CO2 carriers to meet this demand.
The classification society carried out a design review of the ship based on its ‘Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships’, which incorporates the IGC Code, an international code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases such as liquefied CO2 and LNG in bulk.
ClassNK issued the AiP after it was confirmed that the prescribed requirements were met, and says it will continually strive to contribute to advanced decarbonisation initiatives through safety assessments and more.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding stated it is currently pursuing strategic measures to strengthen its business for the energy transition within shipping.
In conjunction with this initiative, the company says it is making efforts to contribute to the advancement of the maritime industries in Japan and globally by utilising its shipbuilding-based marine engineering technologies in addition to the conventional shipbuilding.
“Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will actively promote the development of LCO2 carriers and the establishment of CCS value chains through collaboration with various domestic/overseas companies,” the company said in a statement.
