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Navigating within the Safe Operating Space with Carbon Capture On-Board
Valentina Negri1, Margarita A Charalambous1, Juan D Medrano-García1
1Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, 8093Zurich, Switzerland.
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
|January 2, 2023
Summary
Onboard carbon capture on cargo ships offers a 94% efficient, cost-effective solution for reducing maritime CO2 emissions. This interim strategy significantly lowers environmental impact, supporting the transition to sustainable shipping fuels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Marine Engineering
- Climate Change Mitigation
Background:
- Maritime shipping emissions are projected to increase despite global disruptions.
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) prioritizes fleet efficiency and sustainable fuels.
- Need for immediate, feasible solutions to reduce shipping's carbon footprint.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the economic, technical, and environmental feasibility of onboard CO2 capture on cargo ships.
- To evaluate the sustainability of this solution against planetary boundaries.
- To compare onboard capture with direct air capture for shipping decarbonization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized state-of-the-art chemical absorption technology for CO2 capture.
- Calculated the carbon footprint of the onboard capture scenario.
- Conducted an absolute sustainability study using seven planetary boundaries.
Main Results:
- Achieved 94% net CO2 emission reduction efficiency at $85/tCO2.
- Significantly reduced impacts on core planetary boundaries compared to business-as-usual.
- Outperformed direct air capture in global warming and most planetary boundaries, except nitrogen flow.
Conclusions:
- Onboard CO2 capture presents a viable short-term solution for decarbonizing maritime shipping.
- This technology supports the development and deployment of alternative carbon-free fuels and infrastructure.
- It offers a pragmatic approach to mitigate shipping's environmental impact while pursuing long-term goals.
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