Norwegian DNV Awards Approval in Principle to Shell and Brevik Engineering for Innovative CO2 Carrier Design

Norwegian class society DNV has awarded a detailed approval in principle (AiP) to the UK-based Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited, part of Shell, and Norway-based marine engineering company Brevik Engineering for their design of a 74,000 cbm liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) carrier.

The vessel is specifically designed for the Asia Pacific market to enable cost-competitive transport of CO2.

This AiP from DNV covers a comprehensive scope across a wide range of disciplines, including the assessment of specific technical challenges for LCO2 carriers. Over 50 documents have been reviewed, with special emphasis on cargo tank design, including tank integrity analysis and suitability of material.

With dimensions capped at 290 meters in length and a 12-meter draft to access key East Asian ports, the designed ship mirrors the size of a 174,000 cbm LNG carrier. It features 15 cylindrical tanks that store 74,000 cbm of liquid CO2 at around -50°C and 6–8 barg, a low-pressure industry standard. The vessel is also designed for future onboard capture of CO2 from the main engine exhaust.

This achievement is said to mark ‘a significant milestone’ in showcasing the viability of low-pressure shipping technology for CO2.

“We are pleased to be collaborating closely with Shell and Brevik Engineering on bringing this innovative gas carrier design to fruition. This AiP underscores the importance of joint innovation and collaboration in advancing solutions that support the development of the wider CCS value chain. Scale is essential to drive down the cost of CCS and this work demonstrates the feasibility of large CO2 carriers with a low carbon footprint,” Mathias Sørhaug, Business Development Director CO2 shipping, DNV Maritime, commented.

“After months of technical research, we are proud to have received this detailed Approval in Principle confirming the feasibility of low-pressure shipping with a design that is tender-ready. We are excited to see how innovations like this can potentially enhance safety, achieve scalability and flexibility to drive cost competitiveness in the implementation of large-scale cross-border CCS,” Lee Teng-Huar, Shell General Manager, Maritime Operations, Asia Pacific and Middle East, said.

Brevik Engineering has brought its experience in marine design and CO₂ ship logistics to the development of this low-pressure CO₂ carrier, where the key philosophy has been to reduce technological risk and ensure compliance with current regulations.

“Based on a comprehensive technology study, conducted in collaboration with Shell, this innovative design is expected to set new benchmarks in safe, efficient, and sustainable large-scale CO₂ shipping,” Evert Grødal, Managing Director of Brevik Engineering, highlighted.

Carbon capture and storage is set to play a key role in the decarbonization of industry in the Asia Pacific. Emitting countries such as Japan, Korea, and Singapore are studying the possibility of shipping substantial quantities of their own CO2 to store locations within the wider region. This necessitates the development of larger capacity vessels than those currently planned for European CCS projects. Low-pressure cargo tank designs are a key enabler to commercialize these large LCO2 ships to enable the transportation of CO2 at a lower cost.

In related news, Northern Lights, a joint venture of energy majors Shell, Equinor and TotalEnergies, took delivery of the first two LNG-powered LCO2 carriers, Northern Pioneer and Northern Pathfinder, in November and December 2024, respectively.

Built at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) in China, the 7,500 cbm vessel duo belongs to a series of four sister ships custom-designed for CO2 transport, which is said to be the largest dedicated CO2 shipping fleet globally.