Project CAPTURED has achieved two regulatory milestones that strengthen the pathway for onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS), with the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) recognising deductions for onboard captured CO₂ and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) giving in-principle support for carbon mineralisation as a permanent CO₂ storage pathway.

Orchestrated by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), Project CAPTURED brought together 11 partners across the maritime and industrial sectors to demonstrate the first end-to-end value chain for onboard captured and liquefied CO₂ (LCO₂).

Completed in June 2025, the pilot showed that CO₂ captured onboard a vessel can be transferred ship-to-ship, transported overland and permanently bound through carbon mineralisation, converting captured CO₂ into stable materials for industrial use.

The latest regulatory developments address two critical stages of the OCCS value chain: how captured CO₂ can be accounted for under emissions regulations, and how it can be managed after leaving the vessel.

Under the EU ETS, the verified quantity of CO₂ captured during Project CAPTURED has been recognised for compliance purposes, allowing it to be deducted from emissions requiring EU Allowance (EUA) compliance. This recognition applies where captured CO₂ is permanently chemically bound in eligible products, a requirement demonstrated by the project through carbon mineralisation.

The same project data also supported a proposal submitted to the 84^th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84). The IMO gave in-principle support for recognising carbon mineralisation as a permanent CO₂ storage pathway, alongside existing approaches such as geological sequestration.

Together, the developments provide greater clarity for the future deployment of OCCS by linking onboard capture, regulatory accounting and permanent carbon management. They also expand the potential downstream pathways for captured CO₂, allowing it to serve not only as a stream requiring permanent storage, but also as a feedstock for industrial applications through carbon mineralisation.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD, commented: “Project CAPTURED has moved OCCS beyond technical demonstration. The acceptance of the EU ETS deduction gives captured CO₂ a compliance value. At the same time, IMO’s in-principle support for carbon mineralisation will help clarify how captured CO₂ can be treated after it leaves the vessel. Together, these milestones turn a pilot into a verified reference case for maritime carbon logistics, one that links regulatory recognition, commercial value and emissions impact.”

Dr Su Yi, General Manager of SMDERI-QET, one of the project partners, said: “Project CAPTURED has demonstrated that captured CO₂ can be transferred from ship to ship and converted into construction materials. We have now taken a further step by achieving carbon deductions under the EU ETS, which means we have further explored the possibilities of the maritime carbon value chain. The IMO’s support in principle for carbon mineralisation means that our pathway is repeatable, offering a feasible blueprint for future emissions reductions in the shipping industry.”

Project CAPTURED also demonstrated the technical performance of the value chain, maintaining CO₂ purity above 99.95 vol% at all custody-transfer points. GCMD’s life cycle assessment found that the pilot achieved a 7.9% net greenhouse gas reduction based on a 10.7% gross onboard capture rate, while an optimised value chain using the same capture rate could deliver GHG savings of 17.8%.

Image courtesy of GCMD