Evergreen installs world‘s 1st carbon capture on Neopanamax containership

Taiwanese container shipping company Evergreen has installed an onboard CO2 capture and storage (CCS) system on its Neopanamax container vessel Ever Top.

The system can handle all stages of CO2 capture, including absorption, compression, liquefaction, and storage processes.

Japanese classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has granted its “SCCS-Full”class notation to the 14,000 TEU ship. According to Classnk, Ever Top is the world’s first Neopanamax container vessel to be retrofitted with such systems.

The vessel belongs to the T-class fleet of ships delivered to Evergreen between 2013-17. The Panama-flagged vessel was built in 2014.

The system was developed by Qiyao Environmental Protection and installed at Huarun Dadong Dockyard Co. (HRDD). ClassNK reviewed the system components and the installation plan, aligning with its comprehensive “Guidelines for Shipboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems.”

The system uses amine adsorbents to capture CO2. The captured CO2 is then compressed and liquefied for transportation and storage/utilization.

“As the crucial action of first movers, ClassNK deeply respects the ambitious and practical application of CCS systems taken by Evergreen and involved parties to advance GHG abatement technology implementation. It is our great honor to be a part of this outstanding collaboration, and we are committed to supporting proactive initiatives toward decarbonization by providing appropriate standards, surveys, and certifications,” Masaki Matsunaga, Corporate Officer/Director of Plan Approval and Technical Solution Division, ClassNK said.

Onboard carbon capture systems have emerged as a promising technology that can help existing vessels curb their emissions and extend their service life by cleaning engine exhaust. Nevertheless, one of the key challenges to the wider adoption of the technology has been the lack of shoreside infrastructure for the offloading of CO2.