Revolutionizing Carbon Emission Management: COAST20 Project

A groundbreaking contract has been awarded for the front-end engineering and design of the first U.S. temporary storage and liquefaction processing terminals for captured CO2. The Carbon Ocean and Storage Transport 20 (COAST20) project, spearheaded by Aptamus Carbon Solutions, a subsidiary of Overseas Shipholding Group, is set to revolutionize the transport and storage of carbon emissions captured from Florida’s industries.

The ambitious project has identified a 15-acre parcel with access to an existing deep-water berth in Port Tampa Bay for the Tampa Regional Intermodal Carbon Hub (T-RICH). This hub will serve as a crucial facility for handling the captured CO2, which will then be transported to a discharge and regasification terminal at LBC Tank Terminals in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The innovative design includes the construction of a 20,000-ton liquified CO2 tank vessel and the first liquefied CO2 articulated tug-barge in the U.S. These vessels will play a pivotal role in the efficient transport of CO2 from Florida to Louisiana.

Partnerships and Expertise

Aptamus has partnered with Entr, the consultancy arm of Aker Solutions, to conduct the front-end engineering and design for the COAST20 project’s terminals. The Tampa Bay terminal will feature two liquefaction trains with a total throughput of 2 million tons per year and 30,000 cubic meters of LCO2 storage capacity. The facility is designed to accommodate various modes of CO2 delivery, including pipelines, rail, and trucks.

Knut Egil Pedersen, Vice President of hydrogen and CO2 at Aker Solutions, expressed excitement about bringing their expertise to Florida for this pioneering project. The receiving terminal in Baton Rouge will be strategically located near an existing CO2 pipeline system for delivery to permanent underground storage sites.

Sustainable Solutions for Florida

Florida, being the third highest CO2 emitting state in the nation, stands to benefit significantly from the COAST20 project. Jeffrey Ross Williams, President of Aptamus, emphasized the importance of managing captured CO2 in the state to meet the increasing demand for electricity while reducing carbon emissions.

The project, selected in 2024 for partial funding by the U.S. Department of Energy, aims to address the need for effective carbon emission management in the Tampa Bay region. By providing a cost-effective solution for handling CO2 emissions from power-generating facilities and industrial emitters, COAST20 is poised to make a significant impact on Florida’s sustainability efforts.

Port Tampa Bay and LBC Tank Terminals are key partners in the Aptamus COAST20 project, underscoring the collaborative nature of this innovative initiative.