NYK Line has signed an agreement with Hokkaido Electric Power (HEPCO) to study the deployment of onboard carbon capture and storage technology onboard a coal carrier, the Prika Mosiri Maru.
Under the MoU, NYK and HEPCO will evaluate the installation and operation of OCCS on the vessel, which is owned by NYK and operated for HEPCO. The study will run through the fiscal year 2028 and will examine the design of onboard capture system, as well as methods for unloading captured CO2 and pathways for utilisation.
The project will be based in Tomakomai, Japan, where large-scale CCS activities are already under development. A section of the offshore area was designated as a ‘specified area’ under Japan’s CCS Business Act in 2025 to support the development of CO2 storage projects.
In a statement, NYK said, ‘Through the joint studies conducted under this MoU, NYK aims to deepen its knowledge of OCCS technologies and pave the way for their broader social implementation, contributing significantly to the realization of a decarbonized society.’
The new agreement is part of NYK’s wider investment in CCS project. It has previously announced collaborations with its affiliate NYK Carbon Carriers and Chiyoda Corporation to develop CCS projects in Japan and overseas, including the large-scale transport of LCO2.
HEPCO is already involved in the development of CCUS value chains in Japan and the collaboration with NYK will focus on linking onboard capture with existing and planned CCS infrastructure in Tomakomai.
The three-year study is expected to provide data on the operation of OCCS systems on board a working vessel as well as the practical requirements for handling and offloading captured CO2 at port.
