ABS Approves First of Its Kind LCO2 Barge for U.S. Operation

(HOUSTON) ABS awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (OSG), the parent company of Aptamus Carbon Solutions, for its preliminary design of a liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) barge.

The development of the barge design is a core component of the Tampa Regional Intermodal Carbon Hub (T-RICH) project to receive, store and process emissions from Florida industries for transport to regional sequestration sites.

The articulated tug and barge unit (ATB) is a first-of-its-kind to service carbon capture projects in the U.S. The cargo handling system design is based on medium pressure LCO₂ Type-C tanks and is capable of transporting 20,000 mt of cargo. Maximum operating pressure has been determined by track record studies and market trends, and with consideration of loading capacity and holding time.

ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements, specifically including the latest ABS requirements for building and classing 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, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering.

“This AiP represents another historic milestone in Aptamus’ journey to lead the development of CO₂ storage and marine transportation in the United States,” said Jeffrey Ross Williams, Aptamus President. This ABS AiP is another big step in our journey to lead the U.S. maritime industry in designing the technology required for success in our nation’s emission reduction goals and in pursuing new and expanding business opportunities in the global energy transition,” said Williams.

“Aptamus is proud to have developed the first known LCO₂ vessel specifically designed for operation in the coastal waters of the United States,” said Kent Merrill, Aptamus Vice President of Marine Projects. “Articulated tugs and barges (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. 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. We thank ABS for their valued partnership on this project, as well as other engineering contributors like Corban Energy Group and Herbert Engineering Corporation.”

ABS is the world’s premier classification society for gas carriers with more than 50 years of experience, and ABS is leading the maritime industry in comprehensive sustainability solutions. Learn more here.

Photo Caption 1: Rendering of the liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2) barge – Courtesy Aptamus

Photo Caption 2: Representatives from ABS and Aptamus met at ABS headquarters in Houston, Texas, for the AIP presentation.

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