ABS Greenlights Innovative Design for First U.S. Liquefied CO2 Barge

Classification society ABS has given the green light to Overseas Shipholding Group,Inc. (OSG) for an innovative liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) barge design. This vessel, which operates as an articulated tug and barge unit (ATB), marks a important milestone as it will be the first of its kind in the U.S. specifically aimed at carbon capture initiatives. It boasts medium pressure LCO2 Type-C tanks with a cargo capacity of 20,000 metric tons.

This initiative is part of the larger Tampa Regional Intermodal Carbon hub (T-RICH) project, designed to manage emissions from various Florida industries and transport them to designated sequestration sites. The T-RICH facility at Port Tampa Bay aims to process up to two million metric tons of CO2 each year, with room for future growth.

In April 2024, OSG received a $3 million grant from the U.S.Department of Energy to support this vessel’s design and engineering efforts—an exciting boost following an earlier DOE grant in December 2023 that helped kickstart T-RICH’s development.

“The safe movement of CO2 is essential within the carbon value chain,” remarked Gareth Burton, ABS Senior Vice President for Global Engineering. “We’re excited to leverage our expertise as a leading classification society for gas carriers on this groundbreaking project.”

Florida faces a significant infrastructure challenge; it ranks fourth in CO2 emissions from power generation and industrial activities but lacks adequate pipeline systems for transporting CO2. The ATB will facilitate moving captured CO2 from T-RICH terminal directly to sequestration locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Kent Merrill, Vice President at Aptamus overseeing Marine Projects, pointed out that their design team is integrating eco-amiable technologies into this project—plans are underway for using green methanol or other sustainable fuels on the tugboat.

sam Norton, OSG’s President and CEO, emphasized that systems focused on carbon capture and storage could be pivotal in meeting U.S. carbon reduction targets—potentially accounting for up to 30% of necesary emission cuts by 2050 if we aim for net-zero goals.

This venture not only promises environmental benefits but also aims to generate hundreds of new jobs while promoting faster adoption of emission reduction strategies among Florida’s industrial sectors.

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