Solvang ASA, the Norway-based shipowner, has ordered a full-scale, turnkey Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) retrofit on board one of its LPG carriers with Singaporean shipyard Seatrium. The contract is understood to be the first of its kind for a full-scale CCS unit.

The 7MW CCS system will be supplied by Wärtsilä and will be installed on one of Solvang’s ECO series of ethylene carriers, the 21,000-cbm Clipper Eris in the third quarter of 2024. Solvang and Wärtsilä initially announced plans to collaborate on the retrofit of a CCS system on one of Solvang’s LPG carriers in October 2021. 

The Clipper Eris features two hybrid Wärtsilä Venturi exhaust gas cleaning systems combined with a low pressure EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system. The vessel’s primary power installation is a six-cylinder 50ME-C8.5 diesel manufactured under licence from MAN Energy Solutions by Hyundai Heavy Industry, and specified at an NCR rating of 7,100kW at 104 RPM. The vessel also features 3 x Hyundai Himsen auxiliary engines, specified at 1,400 kW at 720 RPM.

The project will use amine cleaning technology to capture 70% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the exhaust gas from the main engine, involving the entire value chain for handling CO2, including liquefaction and storage onboard the vessel.