IMO backs mineralisation pathway for onboard carbon capture
In-principle support at MEPC 84 could open a new route for onboard CO2 capture by treating mineralisation as permanent storage.
A proposal to recognise carbon mineralisation as a form of permanent carbon storage for shipping has won in-principle support at the IMO, potentially opening a new route for onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS).
Led by Shanghai Qiyao Technology Group and submitted during the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) meeting, the proposal argues that CO2 captured on board can be converted into stable minerals such as calcium carbonate — creating a permanent form of sequestration while producing materials usable in construction. The IMO working group welcomed two submissions from the Chinese company and its partners: one making the technical and environmental case for treating mineralisation as equivalent to permanent storage, the other presenting data from a full-chain demonstration spanning onboard capture, ship-to-ship transfer of liquid CO2, land transport and final mineralisation.
Supporters say mineralisation could overcome one of the biggest hurdles to OCCS adoption — the lack of suitable geological storage infrastructure. Conventional systems rely on transporting captured CO2 to dedicated storage sites, which can be costly and logistically awkward; mineralisation instead turns the carbon into stable carbonate products with potential commercial value. "We see this IMO attention as an important step," the head of Qiyao's OCCS team said. "Closing the loop from shipboard capture to onshore mineralisation can make carbon accounting more practical and economically attractive for the industry."
Shanghai Qiyao said it has already installed a full-scale onboard capture system aboard a 14,000 teu containership and completed what it described as the world's first ship-to-ship transfer of captured liquid CO2 for subsequent mineralisation ashore.
