Onboard Carbon Capture and Emission Control for Net-Zero Shipping: Capture Processes, Slip Mitigation and the CO2 Value Chain

Onboard carbon capture and marine emission control are emerging as important components of the transition towards net-zero shipping. The revised IMO GHG Strategy, FuelEU Maritime Regulation and extension of the EU Emissions Trading System to maritime transport are creating increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both new and existing vessels. Although low- and zero-carbon fuels are expanding, their availability, infrastructure requirements and production costs mean that a substantial proportion of the global fleet is likely to remain dependent on conventional combustion systems for decades. Recent pilot and demonstration projects indicate that onboard carbon capture can reduce exhaust emissions, but performance is strongly affected by limited shipboard space and weight, vessel motion, transient engine loads, exhaust composition, the marine and seawater environment, and onboard energy availability, factors that distinguish it clearly from land-based capture. In parallel, methane and ammonia slip from dual-fuel engines, and the marine engine combustion behaviour that drives them, may substantially reduce the climate benefits expected from alternative fuels. Important questions remain regarding capture efficiency under transient marine conditions, the measurement of non-CO2 emissions, the treatment of captured CO2 and the extent to which land-based technologies can be adapted for use at sea. Further research is needed to evaluate integrated solutions under realistic technical, economic, safety and regulatory conditions.This Research Topic aims to advance the scientific and engineering basis for onboard carbon capture and integrated marine emission control. It will bring together experimental, modelling, demonstration and techno-economic studies that assess the performance of absorption, membrane, cryogenic, adsorption and hybrid capture systems under shipboard conditions. Contributions may investigate energy and resource requirements, capture efficiency, solvent and material durability, exhaust-gas treatment, methane and ammonia slip mitigation from dual-fuel engines, and the co-control of CO2, NOx, SOx, black carbon and particulate matter. The Research Topic will also examine the conditioning, liquefaction, temporary storage and port offloading of captured CO2, including its connection to permanent storage or utilisation pathways. By linking process performance with lifecycle emissions, cost per tonne of CO2-equivalent avoided, safety, certification, monitoring and regulatory compliance, this Research Topic seeks to provide practical evidence for shipowners, technology developers, ports, regulators and other stakeholders assessing onboard abatement options.To gather further insights into shipboard emission abatement, this Research Topic will focus on capture, treatment, monitoring and management systems deployed on vessels or directly connected to maritime operations. It will not primarily address the comparative selection of marine fuels, except where fuel choice or dual-fuel engine operation influences capture performance, emissions control or the resulting CO₂ value chain.Contributions addressing the following themes are particularly encouraged:• Onboard carbon capture using absorption, adsorption, membranes, cryogenic separation and hybrid systems• Solvent, sorbent and membrane materials for marine CO2 separation• Capture efficiency, energy penalty, footprint, weight and integration with shipboard power systems• Process performance under variable engine loads, vessel motion, exhaust composition and marine environmental conditions• CO2 purification, compression, liquefaction, conditioning and onboard storage• Port reception, offloading infrastructure and integration with permanent storage or utilisation pathways• Measurement, modelling and mitigation of methane and ammonia slip from dual-fuel engines, including marine engine combustion and dual-fuel operating strategy• Exhaust after-treatment and co-control of CO2, NOx, SOx, black carbon and particulate emissions• Monitoring, reporting and verification of onboard emissions, including sensors, data quality and emission factors• Safety, toxicity, corrosion, fire protection, operational risks and certification requirements• Digital monitoring, process control and optimisation of integrated emission-control systems• Lifecycle assessment and evaluation of net greenhouse gas reductions• Techno-economic assessment, scale-up and cost per tonne of CO2-equivalent avoided• Regulatory implications under the IMO GHG Strategy, FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS• Demonstration projects, retrofit strategies and pathways for deployment across different vessel classes Topic editors: AKRIVI ASIMAKOPOULOU, George Skevis, Dimitrios Koutsonikolas, María Isabel Lamas Galdo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86200/onboard-carbon-capture-and-emission-control-for-net-zero-shipping-capture-processes-slip-mitigation-and-the-co2-value-chain