Project logisticians and carriers weigh in on the future of CCUS

The carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) sector is on the radar of many project logisticians and multipurpose carriers. This nascent market is facing headwinds, however, with many CCUS projects deemed too expensive to work on a commercial basis. Still, some firms are pressing ahead, despite technical and financial pressures.

Recent research from the IEEFA reveals the extensive technical, commercial and legislative challenges European countries face as they bet on CCUS to reduce emissions and reach net zero. Given CCUS’s technical immaturity and the problems that have plagued operational projects, it warns that the technology’s already prohibitive cost is likely to remain high, if not increase, in the near term.

Nevertheless, there are some spirited organisations, including project logisticians and multipurpose carriers, that are helping drive the CCUS sector ahead. “CCS projects have been gaining attention,” noted Matias Setala, president Scandinavia and Eastern Europe at deugro, pointing to high-profile projects and initiatives in Scandinavia aiming to reduce CO2 emissions like the Longship project in Norway and CemZero and Preem CCS in Sweden.

Blue Water Shipping has been involved in the Greensand project. Soren Nielsen, global head of chartering and head of projects, Denmark, sees carbon capture as a huge segment that is opening for the project logistics industry, but at this early stage of development it is challenging to build traction, he said.