Start-Up Offers Shipping a Potential Solution To Capturing Carbon

30th June 2025

Lorna Siggins

The equipment fits in a few shipping containers, designed to take up very little room aboard a ship. The pilot system is attached to a ship's exhaust to capture the carbon dioxide and sulphur emissions from dirty marine diesel as it burns. See vid below.

The shipping industry is one of the last sectors trying to figure out how to decarbonise, but a London tech start up has developed a pilot system which may offer a solution.

The International Maritime Organisation has issued a strategy which is committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions from shipping “by or around” 2050.

London startup Seabound has been funded by a US$1.5-million grant from the British government.

It recently partnered up with global shipping company Lomar to install carbon capture equipment on one of its older and dirtier-burning ships.

The equipment fits in a few shipping containers, designed to take up very little room aboard a ship.

The pilot system is attached to a ship's exhaust to capture the carbon dioxide and sulphur emissions from dirty marine diesel as it burns.

The exhaust gas is pushed through a pile of calcium oxide pebbles – also known as quicklime, and a relatively cheap and abundant material used in building, agriculture and other areas worldwide.

Carbon dioxide readily reacts with quicklime at room temperatures to create calcium carbonate, or limestone – so these pebbles securely bind and trap the carbon dioxide, the company says.

Seabound was founded by chief executive Alisha Fredriksson and chief technology officer Rojia Wen.

A series of tests on a container ship gradually improved the rate of emissions capture until they were managing 78% carbon capture efficiency and more than 90% sulphur capture.

The Seabound team says the system will eventually be able to capture anywhere up to 95% of emissions in its most effective form.

Published in Marine Tech

Tagged under

Shipping

About The Author

Lorna Siggins

Email The Author

Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

About Marine Technology

Marine technology, as defined by the European association WEGEMT, refers to the use of technology for ensuring the safe use, exploitation, protection of, and intervention in, the marine environment. This includes a wide range of technologies that support naval architecture, marine engineering, ship design, ship building, and ship operations.

In addition to these foundational technologies, marine technology also encompasses oil and gas exploration, exploitation, and production, hydrodynamics, navigation, sea surface and sub-surface support, underwater technology and engineering, marine resources (including both renewable and non-renewable marine resources), transport logistics and economics, inland, coastal, short sea and deep sea shipping, protection of the marine environment, and leisure and safety.

The importance of marine technology cannot be overstated. With over 70% of the earth's surface covered by water, the marine environment plays a critical role in our lives. From transportation to energy production, marine technology enables us to harness the immense potential of the oceans while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Moreover, the development of marine technology is crucial for the sustainable use of marine resources. As the demand for seafood and other marine products continues to grow, the sustainable management of these resources becomes increasingly important. Marine technology can help us to achieve this by providing innovative solutions for sustainable fishing, aquaculture, and other forms of marine resource management.

In Ireland, claims are made that the island country "has the potential to be the “Silicon Valley” of the aquatech world". Ireland is at a very exciting stage when it comes to aquatech. There are currently 62 aquatech companies operating here, all using technology to enable sustainable seafood farming at a time when the sector is facing many challenges.”

Ireland’s growing expertise in the developing aquatech sector means it has the potential to become a global leader in the field, with Irish aquatech companies turning over €200m last year.

Over €15m has been invested in aquatic businesses, and over 200 high-tech jobs have been created in the sector over the last six years.

In conclusion, marine technology is a vast and rapidly evolving field encompassing a broad range of technologies and applications. As we continue to explore and exploit the potential of the oceans, marine technology will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the safe and sustainable use of these resources.