Seabound, the UK-based pioneer in carbon capture solutions for the shipping industry, has successfully tested its novel carbon capture technology on a commercial container ship.
This development is a much-needed step in accelerating the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. This sector currently contributes to ~3% of global emissions and is considered one of the hardest to abate.
Calcium looping
The successful pilot marks a turning point in Seabound's mission to tackle the climate crisis by decarbonising shipping.
The pilot, conducted in collaboration with the global shipping company, Lomar, and its corporate venture lab, lomarlabs, demonstrated Seabound’s unique system that uses a second-generation carbon capture technology called calcium looping.
Captures 95% of CO2 emissions
Seabound and Lomar secured £1.2 million in grant funding from the UK Government to fund part of the pilot
Seabound’s system was approved for onboard testing by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), with an additional risk assessment completed by Lloyd’s Register.
This innovative system has the potential to capture up to 95% of CO2 emissions from a ship's exhaust, transforming it into solid calcium carbonate pebbles that can be easily offloaded at port for reuse or sale.
Seabound and Lomar secured £1.2 million in grant funding from the UK Government as a part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 to fund part of the pilot.
Technology viability
The project saw Seabound and Lomar leverage a 240m long container ship with a capacity of >3200 containers as a real-world lab. The ship was chartered by Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world’s pioneering liner shipping companies, who also supported the project.
The test successfully captured roughly 1 tonne of CO2 per day in a prototype system. The tests prove the viability of Seabound’s novel technology for the shipping industry and lay the foundation for much larger-scale installations in the future.
Carbon capture efficiency
A series of tests were completed onboard the ship, which increased the carbon capture rate over time
The Seabound team completed the installation at a shipyard in Turkey and sailed onboard the ship for two months to gain hands-on operating experience.
A series of tests were completed onboard the ship, which increased the carbon capture rate over time and culminated in a carbon capture efficiency of 78% and sulfur capture efficiency of over 90%.
Simple and cost-effective
“Our pilot project demonstrates that we can capture carbon emissions directly onboard ships simply and cost-effectively," said Alisha Fredriksson, CEO and Co-Founder of Seabound.
Alisha Fredriksson adds, “This breakthrough demonstrates that the shipping industry doesn’t have to wait for new fuels or solutions to reduce its emissions in the future - we can start to capture carbon from the existing fleet today.”
Simple to install, operate, and maintain technology
“Seabound's technology presents an attractive and viable solution to reducing carbon emission, with a technology that is simple to install, operate, and maintain," said Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of lomarlabs.
Stylianos Papageorgiou adds, "We are excited to join Seabound's mission and believe their technology could be instrumental in driving a cleaner future for maritime transport."
Marine carbon capture
“We’re pleased that Seabound and Lomar are collaborating on this ambitious marine carbon capture project. The pilot demonstration is a great milestone and we’re excited to see the scale-up of this technology to a full deployment,” said James Lovett, Innovation Lead - Future Maritime Technologies, at Innovate UK.
James Lovett adds, "This project is a fantastic example of UK innovators in the maritime industry gaining the benefits from investing in R&D."
Shipping sustainability
“Shipping sustainability has a defining role in the clean energy transition. Working with Seabound underscores our commitment to supporting shipowners and operators and the wider industry to move towards a cleaner future, shaping the industry for the better,” said Panos Koutsourakis, Vice President of Global Sustainability, at ABS.
Panos Koutsourakis adds, "Seabound’s work is crucial at this time and we are proud to be working alongside them to make it a reality."
Full-scale carbon capture systems
“Supporting this project by Seabound and Lomar underpins our dedication to reducing our climate impact. Our company’s ambitious aim is to be net zero by 2045. Thus, we are looking forward to the opportunities this foresighted project will bring in the future,” said Georg Eljardt, Senior Director of Fleet Innovation & Technology.
With the pilot completed, Seabound is focused on developing its first full-scale carbon capture systems for commercial deliveries from 2025 onwards. Seabound’s rapid progress since its founding in late 2021 has already attracted prominent investors, including Y Combinator, Lowercarbon Capital, and Eastern Pacific Shipping, who recognise the game-changing potential of this technology.
