A groundbreaking maritime operation has taken place: the world’s first CO₂ transfer directly between ships while at sea—no port terminals or pipeline infrastructure involved. This innovation marks a new era for flexible, offshore carbon transport with major implications for global decarbonization.
🔬 How It Worked
- Two specially equipped vessels transferred liquefied CO₂ (LCO₂) directly, eliminating the need to dock or use fixed infrastructure.
- The process involved advanced cold transfer techniques at sea: ships aligned, stabilized, and used flexible cryogenic hoses to move CO₂ efficiently and safely.
- This pilot demonstrates operational feasibility for offshore carbon transport, particularly useful for remote carbon capture sites or developing blue hydrogen bunkers.
🌍 Why This Is a Game-Changer
- Infrastructure Flexibility
No reliance on costly ports or pipelines—operations can occur at anchor or in designated offshore zones, reducing capital expenses. - Scalability & Reach
Enables carbon transport from floating platforms, remote industrial facilities, or ships equipped with onboard capture tech—opening access to global storage sites. - Foundation for CO₂ Shipping Industry
Supports the emerging fleet of specialized LCO₂ carriers anticipated by 2030, with applications across carbon capture and utilization chains.
📈 Industry Context & Impacts
- Around 55 LCO₂ shipping vessels may be needed by 2030 to handle ~90 million tonnes of CO₂ annually
- Earlier onboard carbon capture projects—like Stena Bulk’s Clipper Eris and various pilot systems—produce LCO₂, but needed a safe, mobile offloading solution at sea
- This ship-to-ship transfer fills that gap, offering an end-to-end offshore CCS solution by coupling capture and transport without shore dependence.
🧭 Next Steps & Outlook
- Regulatory clarity: Maritime rules need updates for CO₂ transfer safety at sea, including routing, environmental liability, and emergency protocols.
- Scale-up trials: Testing with larger volumes and in diverse sea conditions is essential to validate operational robustness.
- Fleet growth: Demand for dedicated LCO₂ carriers — some already under construction — is expected to surge with proven at-sea transfer models .
✅ Bottom Line
This first-of-its-kind ship-to-ship CO₂ transfer represents a landmark in maritime CCS solutions, enabling truly mobile, offshore carbon logistics. By removing dependency on ports and pipelines, this method accelerates decarbonization opportunities for remote operations and floating industrial setups.
