“Carbon Capture on the Ocean” (CC-Ocean) project(Note) conducted in cooperation with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has received the “Marine Engineering of the Year 2021 (Doko Memorial Award)” from the Japan Institute of Marine Engineering (JIME). The award was received in recognition of the world’s first marine-based CO₂capture system on actual voyage to successfully separate and capture CO₂ from flue gas, with the captured CO₂ having a purity of greater than 99.9%, achieving performance in line with plan. The award ceremony was held on July 22 at the Kaiun Club in Tokyo.

This prize, awarded for outstanding technical achievements in the fields of marine engines and equipment, offshore instruments, and related marine engineering, aims to draw attention to the innovativeness and importance of these achievements both in Japan and around the world, and support the further advancement of associated scientific and industrial technologies. The award-winning “CC-Ocean” project aims to capture CO₂ at sea by converting an existing CO₂capture system for onshore power plants to a marine environment. The system was installed on board the CORONA UTILITY, a coal carrier for Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. operated by “K” Line, with demonstration testing conducted for approximately six months starting in August 2021. The amount, ratio, and purity of the captured CO₂ were all in line with plan, demonstrating the feasibility of capturing CO₂ from the flue gas of marine engines onboard ships, where operating conditions differ from those on land.

As an integral part of MHI Group’s energy transition strategy, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has established the MARINE FUTURE STREAM vision as a growth strategy, setting the goals of “a decarbonized marine world” through renewable energy and the carbon cycle, and “a safe and secure society” through autonomous operation and electrification, and working to generate and implement ideas for marine-related innovation. Going forward, as a marine systems integrator, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will continue to promote decarbonization in the marine industry, focus on achieving carbon neutrality, and contribute to the reducing of environmental loads on a global scale.

• This project was conducted with support from the Maritime Bureau of Japan under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), as part of its assistance project for research and development of technological advancements in marine resource development.