Innovation has always been important at Maersk Tankers. We were the first to include double-hulled vessels in our fleet back in 1992, and today we’re helping to pioneer CO2 transport.

CO2 transport is an emerging market driven by the need for power companies to reduce their CO2 emissions. The idea is to capture and store the CO2 underground instead of emitting it to the atmosphere. One method used to achieve this is known as 'carbon capture and storage' (CCS). It involves capturing CO2 from coal-fired power plants etc., transporting the CO2, and then storing it at a storage site such as a depleted offshore oil field.

Click here to see the CCS value chain

To meet new demands for CCS solutions, we’re planning to build CO2 tanker vessels to transport the gas from point sources such as coal-fired power plants and refineries to carbon storage sites.

Shipping CO2 in tankers requires less capital expenditure than moving it via pipelines. It also offers greater flexibility by providing access to multiple storage sites. Shipping is well suited for smaller quantities, over long distances or for shorter periods of time. CO2 tankers can also be used to transport other gas products, which makes the solution a good option, especially now, in the early days of CCS.

At Maersk Tankers, we already have the blueprints to build CO2 tankers. These vessels will be semi-pressurised and semi-refrigerated, so they can keep CO2 in liquid form. We designed these vessels based on years of experience carrying liquefied petrochemical gas, and naturally in full compliance with global standards.

The vessels can even be equipped with offloading equipment to help meet the challenges of storing CO2 offshore. For this purpose, a combination of CO2 carriers connecting with a 'floating storage and injection unit' (FSIU) or an offshore platform may be deployed.