PSE boards maritime CCS study
11 Feb 2010
London – Model-based engineering company PSE is working with Det Norske Veritas AS (DNV), a maritime classification society, to develop blueprint designs for on-ship carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to reduce maritime CO2 emissions.
A recent International Maritime Organisation (IMO) study estimates maritime CO2 emissions at over 1000m tonnes per year, about 3% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. With these expected to increase threefold by 2050 the IMO is likely to introduce regulations to reduce emissions from shipping.
Because ship emissions are concentrated - unlike other forms of transport - there is potential to capture CO2 at source. However, this requires innovative technology. The Maritime CCS project aims to develop a blueprint design for an on-board process for chemical capture and temporary storage of CO2 for ships in transit until discharge into transmission and storage infrastructures at the next suitable port.
The collaborative project is led by PSE and jointly financed by the two companies plus the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and the Norwegian Research Council under the Eurostars initiative (www.eurostars-eureka.eu). It will take into account the unique challenges posed by the maritime environment, including constant ship movement, limited space and access to utilities, stringent safety requirements and the need for energy efficiency.
PSE will apply model-based innovation (MBI) techniques to accelerate innovation, manage development risk and optimise process design and operation through the application of high-fidelity mathematical models. PSE is already a leading provider of modelling technology and know-how to developers of CCS solutions.
“This is a challenging design problem with tight constraints, and the application of model-based innovation [MBI] technology will be key to developing technically feasible and economically viable solutions,” said Prof. Costas Pantelides, managing director of PSE.
