China Delivers World’s 1st Commercial Liquefied CO2 Transport Ship, Northern Pioneer

The first commercial liquified CO2 carrier in the world, independently designed and constructed by a Chinese Shipbuilding Company was handed over to its client in Dalian City in China’s Liaoning Province.

Called the Northern Pioneer, the vessel was built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

It is 130 m long and 21.2 m broad with a capacity of 7500 m3 of liquified CO2 at a time. The ship is fueled by LNG dual-fuel technology and meets the highest energy-efficient design standards.

It is an eco-friendly, efficient and safe vessel with advanced features.

Gai Yong, project manager at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., said that the ship is the first of its kind and boasts a steel plate material for its cargo tanks and a liquified cargo system.

Gai added that constructing the ship was a challenge as it incorporated several energy-saving and other novel technologies which make it environmentally sustainable, thus achieving a milestone in the carbon transportation sector.

After its delivery, the ship would serve Norway’s massive liquefied CO2 seabed storage project.

The ship will transport carbon dioxide emissions from industries in Europe to a reception facility on Norway’s west coast, where the carbon dioxide will be processed and injected 2600 m below the seabed for storing it permanently.

It is the first ship in the world dedicated to the transportation and storage of marine carbon and will play an important role in finding solutions for the management of land-based carbon dioxide emissions.

Peng Guisheng, head of the marketing department at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. said that the ship’s delivery shows that the Chinese shipbuilding industry is ready to offer transportation and storage equipment for the storage of marine carbon in the future.

References: BastillePost, CGTN