Belgian gas vessel owner Exmar is tapping South Korean expertise to develop a large CO2 carrier.

The company is working with tank systems company Lattice Technology on the project in what is a growth area in shipping as carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) gains ground.

To make CCUS sustainable, there will be a need to transport CO2 in an economical way and on a very large scale, Exmar said.

The two sides are working on a 40,500-cbm ship, which will also be able to carry LPG and ammonia. No time scale has been revealed.

Panamax prototype

The South Korean company will be using its patented lattice pressure vessel (LPV) tank design.

The initial concept is a 195-meter panamax-beam vessel, able to support CCUS projects with capacities ranging from two to 10 million tonnes per annum.

But the size of the ship can be adjusted, the companies believe.

The design comes with a 3,000-cbm storage capacity for low CO2-emitting fuels including LNG.

"The patented tank design will also provide the best storage solution for offshore CO2 liquefaction or re-injection projects," Exmar added.

The shipowner calls the pressurised storage tanks "robust".

Large storage capacity

They can be made in an efficient shape fitting the ship hull and allowing for large storage capacity, the company added.

The LPV prevents sloshing problems even in the harshest environments, Exmar said.

Exmar's executive director of shipping, Jens Ismar, said he is excited about the collaboration.

"We strongly believe CCUS will be a major contributor in our efforts to decarbonise the atmosphere. We believe the Lattice tanks provide the most flexible and economical way to accomplish this," he added.

CO2 carrier race heating up

The interest in CO2 vessels is hotting up.

Earlier in October, a joint venture between energy giants Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies ordered two smaller vessels in China as part of a plan to build carbon storage infrastructure.

The venture, called Northern Lights, contracted the 7,500-cbm ships with a length of 130 metres at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC).

No price has been revealed, but the vessels will be delivered by mid-2024.

The carriers are designed to transport liquid CO2 with purpose-built pressurised cargo tanks.

In August, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding had said it had started a feasibility study into the development of a CO2 carrier in partnership with TotalEnergies.

The ship would transport CO2 from the emission site to storage in projects to decarbonise the oil and gas industry.

Mitsui OSK Lines and K Line are also researching large-scale CO2 carriers.