China sees its ‘first-ever’ installation of centrifugal OCCS aboard 57,000 dwt bulker

September 23, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Chinese marine equipment provider Headway Technology Group has fitted an onboard carbon capture system (OCCS) onto a 57,000 dwt bulk carrier in Zhoushan, China, marking the country’s ‘first-ever’ deployment of centrifugal OCCS.

As disclosed, the fifteen-year-old bulker named Yue Dian 56 was equipped with the solution at the Longshan Shipyard in mid-September.

This development is said to be both the first commercial application of a system of this type in China as well as a ‘significant’ step forward in the nation’s ambition to decarbonize its maritime sector.

The project was carried out by Headway Technology Group in collaboration with the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Zhoushan Administration Committee, Guangdong Energy Group, the Longshan Shipyard, the CHN Energy New Energy Technology Research Institute, and the China Classification Society Shanghai Rules and Research Institute, better known as the Rules and Technology Center (CCS Shanghai Rules & Research Institute).

As informed, the Headway OCCS integrates carbon absorption and desorption, liquefaction and liquid CO2 (LCO2) storage capabilities. It reportedly leverages the company’s centrifugal carbon capture technology and the GNX-3 absorber from the CHN Energy New Energy Technology Research Institute, which is an arm of China’s state-owned energy major CHN Energy.

Per Headway Technology Group, the system has the potential to accomplish a CO2 capture rate of more than 90%, with a purity level of at least 99.6%. What is more, given that the system replaces conventional gravity-based scrubbers, the OCCS is believed to also lower energy consumption.

In order to ‘maximize’ the value of the captured carbon dioxide, officials from Headway have shared that the company would partner with the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Zhoushan Administration Committee and the China Classification Society to set up a closed-loop green lifecycle for carbon.

Specifically, as explained, the captured LCO2—handled in accordance with the “Guidelines for Shipboard Liquid Carbon Dioxide Loading and Unloading Operations”—is to be transported by dedicated LCO2 carriers to Zhoushan’s pilot port.

There, Headway said it will utilize the CO2 in its sustainable fuel synthesis projects, incorporating AEM hydrogen generation and solid-state hydrogen storage technologies to produce hydrogen and to synthesize sustainable methanol and ammonia.

To remind, Headway has also been eyeing opportunities within the methanol, ammonia and hydrogen landscape together with compatriot CEEC Hydrogen Energy, having signed a cooperation agreement regarding this endeavor in April 2024.

Efforts to scale up the deployment of OCCS in China, as well as globally, have seen a steady rise, with numerous maritime stakeholders expressing interest in this emerging technology.

A recent seminar held by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reiterated the importance of OCCS, highlighting it as a viable interim measure to decarbonize shipping as alternative fuels are being developed further, and even mitigate the impact(s) of climate change.

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Nonetheless, before OCCS can be deployed at a broader scale, certain challenges are as of yet in need of being addressed. These are, among others, additional costs due to fuel penalties, amine solvent replenishment, manpower, maintenance and offloading service hurdles, as well as the need to equip a larger number of ports worldwide with the necessary infrastructure.