Photo: Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä Commercially Launches Breakthrough Carbon Capture Solution for Shipping Following Successful Full-Scale Trial

FINLAND
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 06:00 (GMT + 9)

After a world-first full-scale installation onboard Solvang ASA's vessel, Wärtsilä's new CCS technology, proven to reduce ship CO2 emissions by up to 70%, is now available to help the maritime industry meet stringent decarbonization targets.

Helsinki – Technology group Wärtsilä has officially launched its groundbreaking Carbon Capture Solution (CCS) for the global maritime industry, marking a significant leap forward in shipping's journey towards decarbonization. The commercial availability of this innovative technology follows the successful completion of the world's first comprehensive, full-scale installation and testing onboard Solvang ASA’s ethylene carrier, Clipper Eris.

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According to Wärtsilä's rigorous testing, the newly unveiled ‘Wärtsilä Carbon capture solution’ has demonstrated the capability to reduce vessel CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent. This provides ship owners with an immediate and impactful solution to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations and aligns with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambitious 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.

Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä, emphasized the transformative potential of the technology: “CCS is a game-changer for the maritime industry, and we are already witnessing considerable interest in this solution from the market. As the shipping sector progresses towards its net-zero goals, this new technology offers a crucial complement to ongoing efforts aimed at dramatically reducing vessel emissions and mitigating the risk of stranded assets.”

The commercial launch is a direct result of the successful full-scale implementation and optimization of Wärtsilä’s CCS technology onboard Solvang ASA’s 21,000 m3 ethylene carrier, Clipper Eris. The solution has been operational since the vessel departed Singapore in February 2025, capturing emissions from all exhaust gas sources. This collaboration underscores Solvang ASA’s commitment to lowering its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable maritime operations.

Solvang’s Clipper Eris was already equipped with a wide array of Wärtsilä products, including exhaust scrubbers, making it an ideal vessel for this pioneering project. Furthermore, Solvang has collaborated closely with Wärtsilä and other partners on its newbuild vessels currently under construction to ensure they are CCS-ready. This proactive approach includes integrating CCS-ready scrubber systems, as the engines will operate on Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), along with reserving necessary space and utility provisions for future CCS integration.

Edvin Endresen, CEO of Solvang ASA, highlighted the significance of CCS: “While the shipping sector continues to explore various pathways to lessen its environmental impact, CCS offers a significant shortcut for achieving meaningful sustainability. Solvang has been a strong advocate for, and early adopter of, new technologies like CCS for our deep-sea fleet. Recognizing its potential as one of the more promising solutions for marine decarbonization, it was crucial for us to partner with an experienced and trusted technology provider such as Wärtsilä, and we are excited about the potential its CCS offering will bring to our business.”

Wärtsilä has been actively engaged in the development of this CCS technology since 2019. The company operates a dedicated research center and test facility in Moss, Norway, where it captures 10 tonnes of CO2 per day from a Wärtsilä marine engine. The data and insights gained from these tests, now validated by the full-scale installation on Clipper Eris, have conclusively demonstrated the new CCS’s capability to reduce a vessel’s CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent. Wärtsilä estimates the carbon capture cost of its CCS to be in the range of EUR 50-70 per metric ton of CO2 (USD 54-76/mtCO2), encompassing both capital and operating expenditures.

Agnevall reiterated the importance of collaboration: “Partnership has been central to this achievement. Realizing such a significant advancement in maritime emissions control necessitates close cooperation with forward-thinking partners like Solvang ASA. We commend them for their vision and unwavering support in bringing CCS to their fleet.”

Wärtsilä offers a range of scalable CCS sizes and configurations designed to accommodate diverse vessel types and operational requirements, catering to both newbuilds and retrofit projects. Notably, Wärtsilä’s CCS is versatile and can be applied to the exhaust from any carbon-based fuel, including HFO, methanol, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and Marine Gas Oil (MGO). It is also engineered to seamlessly integrate with other emission reduction technologies already in use, such as SOx scrubbers, NOx reduction systems, and particulate matter filters. As an integral part of Wärtsilä's comprehensive portfolio, CCS can be combined with other decarbonization technologies and services to provide holistic solutions.

Wärtsilä’s extensive experience in developing and installing SOx scrubbing technologies and other exhaust gas pollutant control systems uniquely positions the company to pioneer maritime applications for CCS, thereby unlocking further decarbonization benefits for ship owners and operators worldwide.

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