Mitsubishi Shipbuilding starts work on LCO2 demo ship

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), on October 7 held a keel laying ceremony marking the start of construction of a demonstration test ship for the transport of liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂), MHI said on the same day.

The Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA) will charter the ship from Sanyu Kisen, and install and operate the LCO₂ marine tank system used to conduct research and development (R&D). Three additional project partners, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Nippon Gas Line, and Ochanomizu University, will be commissioned by ENAA to conduct R&D on the pressure control and stability of the LCO₂ transported on the ship, and plan demonstration experiments.

The ship is scheduled to be handed over in the latter half of fiscal 2023 as an LCO₂ carrier to facilitate carbon dioxide capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).