ABS approves LCO2 barge design for US operation

A rendering of the liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) barge. Source: Aptamus.

Aptamus Carbon Solutions, a subsidiary of Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), Tampa, Fla., received approval in principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Houston, for its preliminary design of a liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) barge.

The articulated tug and barge unit (ATB) is being developed as part of Aptamus' Tampa Regional Intermodal Carbon Hub (T-RICH) project, which aims to receive, store, and process carbon emissions from Florida-based industries for delivery to regional sequestration sites.

The LCO2 ATB vessel would be U.S.-built and -flagged to transport CO2 between Aptamus’ proposed T-RICH terminal at Port Tampa Bay, Fla., to discharge terminals in the northern Gulf of Mexico region in Texas and Louisiana.

The barge design incorporates medium-pressure LCO2 Type-C tanks and is intended to transport up to 20,000 metric tons of cargo. The maximum operating pressure was determined based on industry data, loading capacity, and cargo holding time.

ABS reviewed the barge design in accordance with its requirements for the construction and classification of liquefied gas tank barges.

“The safe transportation of CO2 plays a vital role in the carbon value chain, and ABS is proud to use our expertise as the world’s leading classification society for gas carriers to support this milestone project for U.S. operations,” said Gareth Burton, senior vice president of global engineering at ABS.

The Aptamus LCO2 vessel is the first known to be designed specifically for operation in U.S. coastal waters, according to the company's vice president of marine projects, Kent Merrill, who noted engineering firms Corban Energy Group, Elmwood Park, N.J., and Herbert Engineering Corp., Alameda, Calif., contributed to the design.

“ATBs are popular and effective in the U.S. for the carriage of petroleum products for several reasons, and those advantages hold true for LCO2 vessels as well,” said Merrill. “We look forward to the continued detailed development of the design, including designing the tug to utilize green methanol or other green fuels and technologies.”

Interest in carbon transport and capture is growing as industries and governments seek scalable solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet climate goals.

In 2024, Aptamus received a $320,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a pre-front end engineering design (FEED) study for the T-RICH project. Additionally, OSG was selected to receive a $2.5 million DOE grant to support a FEED-level study for the Carbon Ocean and Storage Transport 20 (COAST20) project, which focuses on the CO₂ storage and transportation supply chain.

Earlier this month, Aptamus said it reached an agreement for the design and engineering of a CO2 discharge terminal at the Baton Rouge, La., facility of LBC Tank Terminals, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

source: WorkBoat