Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) recently announced the successful installation of Value Maritime’s (VM) Filtree system onboard its managed vessel M/T Pacific Cobalt in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Filtree system filters sulfur and 99% of particulate matter. It includes VM’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) module that can capture up to 40% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the vessel’s main and auxiliary engines.
The CO2 is captured in a tank’s special chemical storage that had been recoated and converted for this purpose during the retrofit. The tank now provides sufficient storage space to capture more than 200 tons of CO2 in a single voyage. Once the tank is full, the chemical will be pumped out in port and delivered to end users, such as greenhouses or synthetic fuel producers, who can release the CO2 on demand. The CO2 can also be placed into carbon sequestration networks. The chemical will then be returned to the vessel for reuse and to capture more CO2.
With a history spanning 60 years, EPS is a leading shipping company committed to the industry’s green and technology-driven growth. Headquartered in Singapore for the past 30 years, EPS is driven by its mission to be the shipping industry’s safe and efficient transportation provider of choice. Empowering that mission is a 6,000-strong and growing workforce across the sea and shore. They oversee a fleet of 200 vessels and 21 million deadweight tons across three core segments: Container ships, dry bulk, and tanker vessels. EPS’ shore team is fully integrated with in-house commercial, finance, innovation, IT, legal, manning, operations, and technical departments.
EPS CEO Cyril Ducau stated, “2023 marks a critical year for the shipping industry. For us to hit IMO 2050 and net zero targets, we need to start moving the needle significantly now. To ensure that we can make a significant difference, we have been developing a portfolio of solutions across various vessel types. Advanced decarbonization technology, like the CCS system from Value Maritime, offers a concrete solution that can be implemented on existing vessels. The result is an immediate carbon emission reduction while removing the need to wait for the development and rationalization of alternative green fuel infrastructure.”
VM: The team behind Filtree system
On the other hand, VM is a young innovation-driven team of experienced engineers and financial experts who understand shipping and the need for new, simple, sustainable solutions that make commercial and economic sense. Their vision is to decrease the environmental footprint of shipping dramatically and significantly contribute to improving the overall sustainability of the maritime industry. Since 2017, their technology has been helping ship owners and operators to increase their competitiveness by achieving valuable emission reductions and financial savings.
“Indeed, 2023 is the year of change for sustainable shipping. EPS is leading the charge of shipping companies that have already started the transition to a greener fleet. Thanks to them, we have now succeeded in bringing our filtering and carbon capture technology to the tanker market. A special thanks should go to the installation team who completed this project within a narrow window and with the utmost professionalism,” said VM co-founder and director Maarten Lodewijk.
17 days to complete the pioneering project
The installation of the prefabricated gas filtering system started in mid-January 2023 in Rotterdam. The pioneering project, which took 17 days to complete, is a first for ocean-going vessels and aims to pave the way for industry-wide adoption.
The maritime industry is focused on IMO 2030 and IMO 2050, which mandate a 40% and 50% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While these regulations are years away, there are options available today that will significantly reduce GHG emissions. EPS intends to drive the agenda for decarbonization and the preservation of the environment by using alternative marine fuels, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethane, ammonia, methanol, and biofuels to lower emissions.
Over the next few years, EPS will add over 60 vessels powered by dual fuel, creating a future-proof fleet that will comply with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and significantly lower its carbon footprint until even cleaner energy sources are available.
With a fleet of over 19 million deadweight tons across three segments, the company must be able to quantify the environmental impact of its CO2 emissions. These metrics allow them to benchmark their performance against themselves and the industry. The findings will be available to peers so they, too, can benchmark their fleet efficiency, thus allowing the industry to collectively find best practices that reduce CO2 emissions well ahead of IMO 2030 and 2050. (Story and photo courtesy of Eastern Pacific Shipping)