CO2LOS - CO₂ ship transport - new solutions

Background

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) plays a pivotal role in achieving the Paris Agreement’s 2°C goal, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). In their 2°C scenario, the IEA foresees that 1 gigaton per year of CO₂ must be captured by 2030, with a subsequent increase to 5 gigatons per year by 2045. To achieve large-scale CCS, efficient transport of CO₂ is essential. The CO2LOS projects specifically focus on investigating ship transport of CO₂ as part of this critical effort.

CO2LOS IV builds upon the foundation laid by previous projects, CO2LOS II (2018-2020) and CO2LOS III (2021-2023). The project’s primary goal is to reduce costs and uncertainties associated with CO₂ transport, thereby stimulating industry interest, and creating more opportunities for CCS as an emissions-reducing solution. The studies conducted within CO2LOS IV will explore various aspects of CO₂ transport, aiming to minimize costs, emissions, energy consumption, and material usage. Additionally, alternative logistic solutions will be thoroughly examined to identify the optimal supply chain from diverse sources to the storage location.

In parallel, the project seeks to develop valuable knowledge, experiences, tools, and results that can be applied by partners in their own CCS endeavours. By doing so, it aims to mitigate investment risks, enhance decision-making support for future CCS initiatives, and disseminate expertise beyond the project consortium through publications, conferences, and open reporting. CO2LOS IV benefits from global collaboration, learning from past large-scale projects that improved and adapted existing transportation solutions, where cost reduction and effective operational procedures are vital.

Scope

CO2LOS IV is a strategic endeavour focused on optimizing CCS logistics. Here is the key information that define its scope.

The project commences by providing in-depth descriptions of four distinct cases related to CO₂ transport. Three of the four cases have been defined before the project’s inception, based on collaborative workshops with partners. The fourth case will be determined once the project is underway, allowing flexibility to address emerging issues.

An extensive analysis of multiple scenarios within each case will be conducted to find the best logistic chain based on cost and emissions. When one scenario is chosen per case, a detail case study including pre-engineering and LCA is performed. This will give a valuable input to the cost/emission tool used in the screening phase. 

During the screening phase for each case, the critical aspects (ship sizes, residual asset value, future CO₂ zero-emission operations, mixed trades, value chain flexibility and efficient project scheduling) are thoroughly examined.