LNG

Chart Industries, the US manufacturer of LNG liquefaction, storage and other cryogenic equipment serving the energy and industrial gas markets, has signed an accord with Canada-headquartered Ionada to pursue carbon-capture and sequestration (CCS) projects for the maritime and power sectors.

Ionada is a developer of exhaust-gas cleaning systems that reduce emissions in shipping and power plants. The accord with Chart will bring together Ionada’s technology and Chart’s expertise in carbon-dioxide storage and handling systems.

Atlanta, Georgia-based Chart is also a market leader in supplying US Gulf Coast large-scale LNG export projects, including Venture Global’s Plaquemines plant on the banks of the Mississippi River, Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi expansion in Texas and Tellurian’s Driftwood venture in Louisiana.

The company is also developing New York-based New Fortress Energy’s FastLNG production plans, while demand for Chart’s LNG vehicle tanks, fuelling stations and trailers has increased worldwide.

In moving into the CCS sector Chart and Ionada envisage making use of the US company’s onboard storage capabilities via its CO2 ISO containers or in engineered built-for-purpose type-C tanks and with the CO2 then offloaded at ports.

“Once offloaded, the CO2 can either be permanently stored in geological formations or put to beneficial use in CO2-consuming industries, such as the agricultural, industrial, energy or food and beverage sectors,” the companies explained.

“We are thrilled to partner with Ionada to help improve the carbon footprint of the shipping industry,” said Chart Chief Executive Jill Evanko.

“The solutions being developed with Ionada will greatly benefit the maritime sector and help ship owners reach greenhouse-gas emission targets set forth by the International Maritime Organization,” added Evanko.

“This is also a great example of how our equipment is agnostic to the process itself - it can work with various process solutions to offer the most flexibility to our end customers,” stated the Chart CEO.

The IMO aims to reduce carbon intensity in international shipping by 40 percent by 2030, and to cut the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2008.

With cryogenic storage tank manufacturing sites all around the world, including the US, China, the Czech Republic, Italy and India, Chart said it was well positioned to supply CO2 storage and handling solutions to shipowners globally.

The Korean Register, the South Korean maritime classification society, said it had established a new LNG Fuel and Bunkering Simulation Center to help the nation acquire more expertise in the shipping sector.

Sea-LNG, a global coalition led by energy and shipping companies backing the increased use of liquefied natural gas as a maritime fuel, has signed up a Port in Oman in the Arabian Peninsula aiming to be a main LNG base with its own production plant.