MOL's CO2 carrier design gets approval from ClassNK

Japanese shipping firm Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has got approval in principle (AiP) for the design of a large-scale liquefied carbon dioxide (CO₂) carrier from the classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), it said on August 23.

MOL last year launched research and development on the adoption of a liquefied CO₂ carrier in response to a call for proposals by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO). The project was entrusted by NEDO to Japan CCS Co., which in turn entrusted MOL with R&D on the adoption of a large-scale CO₂ carrier. 

The carrier is intended as a practical solution to the need for long-distance transport of CO₂ on a scale of 1mn mt/year, based on NEDO's vision to implement CCUS technology, MOL said.