Photo Credit: CSSC
Shanghai Completes World‑First Ship-to‑Ship Transfer of Liquefied CO₂ at Sea
Shanghai, June 26, 2025 – In a landmark achievement for maritime decarbonization, Shanghai’s Yangshan Deepwater Port completed the world’s first ship‑to‑ship transfer of liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO₂) captured onboard a container vessel. The operation, conducted on June 19, marks a major innovation in sustainable shipping practices.
The Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Top, built in 2014 and retrofitted in 2024 with an Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) system developed by the Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute (part of CSSC), offloaded its captured CO₂ to the barge Dejin at the port’s Shengdong Terminal. The system captures over 80 % of onboard emissions with 99.9 % purity, liquefies the CO₂, and stores it for offloading.
This ship‑to‑ship (STS) method eliminates the need for specialized port terminal infrastructure, allowing CO₂ to be transferred at sea or anchorage. This flexibility not only reduces logistical bottlenecks but also allows captured CO₂ to be delivered directly to industrial users located near smaller ports.
With retrofit costs estimated at approximately USD 10 million—less than half the cost of converting to alternative fuels such as methanol or ammonia—the OCCS system offers a cost-effective decarbonization pathway. Furthermore, the captured CO₂, sold for use in industrial applications, has a potential annual revenue of up to USD 8 million per vessel.
Shanghai’s demonstration establishes a fully integrated closed‑loop ecosystem: onboard capture, CO₂ liquefaction, ship‑to‑ship transfer, transport, and industrial reuse. Dubbed the “Shanghai Solution,” this model sets a global precedent for maritime carbon management and may influence forthcoming International Maritime Organization regulations on onboard carbon capture and storage.
The success of this operation removes a critical hurdle for widespread adoption of OCCS technology. It offers a flexible, cost‑efficient option for carbon offloading, aligning with IMO emissions targets and presenting new revenue streams for shipowners. Experts behind the project are contributing to the IMO’s working group to help standardize technical and regulatory guidelines for OCCS implementation worldwide.
