Dutch container ship owner JR Shipping is set to retrofit another six of its feederships with carbon-capture systems.
The move is expected to leave the company with eight vessels of between 750 teu and 1,440 teu fitted with emissions-reducing technology.
The Harlingen-based company currently has two vessels equipped with the technology: the 750-teu Endeavor (built 2005) and Energy (built 2004).
Now the company has signed a deal with Rotterdam-based technology provider Value Maritime to retrofit six ships.
JR Shipping managing owner Sander Schakelaar suggested that the sustainable investment was being made in anticipation of a profitable return.
“The transition to sustainable shipping can only be accelerated if we turn the Green Deal into a profitable deal,” he said.
The six ships to be retrofitted include the 750-teu Enforcer, Endurance and Ensemble (built between 2004 and 2006), while the three larger vessels are the 1,440-teu Emotion (built 2008), Empire and Elysee (both built 2009).
“We worked on the basis that shipowners can only invest to a limited extent in new installations, so our main goal was generating sustainability with return prospects in the long run,” Schakelaar said.
Historic challenge
The vessels will be retrofitted with Value Maritime’s Filtree systems, which capture and store CO2 on board.
CO2 batteries will be offloaded and discharged at greenhouses in Europe, where the CO2 is expected to be re-used.
Value Maritime said it had set up an extensive service network to replace the batteries in main ports.
Value Maritime co-founder Maarten Lodewijks said the agreement is expected to provide the JR fleet with “a green and financial dividend”.
Last year, the company claimed to have carried out the first carbon capture and storage (CCS) equipment on an operational ship.
That involved the retrofit of the 1,036-teu feeder container ship Nordica (built 2011), managed by compatriot Visser Shipping.
“The shipping industry faces a historic challenge,” Schakelaar said.
“Every step helps. Our shipping company is responsible for the operation of 15 container feeder vessels. Together with our investors, we are committed to moving towards a sustainable container feeder fleet.”
