Japanese Shipping Company K Line Partners with Rikkyo University for CO2 Capturing Research Project

Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has signed an agreement with compatriot academic institution Rikkyo Educational Corporation on a research project that aims to develop an onboard CO2 capturing system.

The endowment type research project is titled “Social Implementation of Future Marine Environmentally Harmonious Materials”.

For the project, the K Line Advanced Technology Future Environment Project Laboratory was established within Rikkyo University to capitalize on the industry-academia collaboration.

As explained, the envisaged onboard CO2 capturing system utilizes the molecular technology of metal-organic frameworks (MOF), a porous material.

The Tokyo-based transportation company said it is engaged in different initiatives, such as operating liquefied CO2 carriers, to decarbonize society. One of the initiatives is the discussion on the onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) technology to separate, capture and store on board the CO2 emitted from the vessel and to land it.

In 2021, the company conducted the “CC-Ocean” project, “the world’s first-ever” demonstrative experiment of an onboard CO2 capturing device at the time, and succeeded in separating and capturing CO2 from vessel engine exhaust gas.

Specifically, the research project is aimed at clarifying the applicability of MOF to the onboard CO2 capturing system through the evaluation of MOF’s absorption-desorption performance under the presence of CO2 contained in exhaust gas from a vessel, to expand the technology part of K Line’s OCCS domain.

“In this way, we proceed with discussion aimed for technological development and implementation of MOF,” the shipping giant added.

The research project, along with the company’s other initiatives, is said to support its long-term environmental strategy where specific environmental targets for 2050 are outlined.