Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has been contracted to study the use of ships to transport liquefied CO2 as part of a CCS development project off western Kyushu.
The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security commissioned the research for fiscal year (FY) 2024 under the title ‘Engineering Design Work for Advanced CCS Projects.’
Japan has established a carbon neutrality objective for 2050, and its ‘GX Promotion Strategy’ outlines a strategy to create a business climate conducive to the initiation of CCS projects by 2030.
As part of this programme, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and JOGMEC will establish ‘Advanced CCS projects’, which have the potential for large-scale operations.
As Japan’s first large-scale CCS project last fiscal year, ENEOS, J-Power and JX were commissioned by JOGMEC to conduct the ‘Study on Implementation of an Advanced CCS Project’ for the offshore Kyushu West CCS project.
MOL performed an initial assessment of a liquefied CO2 carrier’s journey plan, assessed maritime transport costs, and highlighted hazards and concerns in low-temperature, low-pressure transportation.
The Kyushu West Offshore CCS project has been designated as an ‘Advanced CCS Project’ for fiscal year 2024, and MOL’s commission to perform this investigation will continue this year.
MOL plans to conduct a feasibility study in FY2024, focusing on vessel selection and identifying risks and issues in liquefied CO2 transport. The goal is to implement a domestic CCS value chain by FY2030.
Recently, MOL announced the merger of its three maritime technology and engineering subsidiaries: MOL Marine & Engineering Co., Ltd.; MOL Ocean Expert Co., Ltd.; and MOL Ship-Tech Inc.
