Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has had Value Maritime’s Filtree system including carbon capture installed on board its managed vessel M/T Pacific Cobalt in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It marks a first for ocean-going vessels to date and aims to pave the way for industry-wide adoption.

The Filtree system, which filters sulphur and 99 per cent of particulate matter, includes Value Maritime’s Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) module that can capture up to forty per cent of CO2 emissions from the vessel’s main and auxiliary engines.

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200 tonnes of CO2 per voyage

The CO2 is captured in a special chemical that is stored in an onboard tank that during the retrofit has been recoated and converted for this purpose. The tank now provides sufficient storage space to capture more than 200 tonnes of CO2 in a single voyage.

Once the tank is full, the chemical will be pumped out in port and delivered to end users, such as greenhouses or synthetic fuel producers, who will be able to release the CO2 on demand. The CO2 can also be placed into carbon sequestration networks. The chemical will then be returned to the vessel for reuse and to capture more CO2.

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Concrete solution for existing vessels

‘2023 marks a critical year for the shipping industry,’ says EPS CEO Cyril Ducau. ‘For us to hit IMO 2050 and net zero targets, we need to start moving the needle significantly now. To ensure that we are able to make a significant difference, we have been developing a portfolio of solutions across various vessel types. Advanced decarbonisation technology, like the CCS system from Value Maritime, offers a concrete solution that can be implemented on existing vessels. The result is an immediate carbon emission reduction while removing the need to wait for the development and rationalisation of alternative green fuel infrastructure.’

The installation of the prefabricated gas filtering system commenced in mid-January 2023 in Rotterdam. It took seventeen days to complete and was managed jointly by EPS’s and Value Maritime’s sea and shore staff.

Also read: EPS and Value Maritime to install first carbon capture solution on tankers