ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a liquefied CO2 carrier intended to support a floating offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) injection facility.
The vessel is designed to serve a Socket SPAR unit, a floating injection system being considered for deployment in deepwater environments where subsea pipeline-based CO2 storage is not feasible.
The certification confirms the feasibility of the carrier design from regulatory and safety perspectives, ClassNK said.
The concept forms part of Japan’s Environmentally Friendly CCS Demonstration Project, which is evaluating offshore injection solutions suited to the country’s deep and steep seabed conditions.
The CO2 carrier design has been developed by Shin Kurushima Sanoyas Shipbuilding under a commission from Uyeno Transtech, a member of the project consortium.
ClassNK said it reviewed the vessel design in accordance with its rules for steel ship construction, including provisions aligned with the International Gas Carrier (IGC) Code governing ships transporting liquefied gases such as CO2 and LNG.
The approval also covers verification of testing related to CO2 handling, including assessments of potential clogging risks in safety relief valves and piping systems caused by CO2 solidification into dry ice under certain conditions.
ClassNK previously issued an AiP for the Socket SPAR concept in 2023 as part of the broader CCS development initiative.
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