Onboard carbon capture is an exhaust treatment solution for ships: it removes CO₂ after combustion and stores it onboard. You can cut CO₂ emissions by up to 70% with Wärtsilä’s onboard carbon capture solution, CCS. You will reduce the risk of exposure to carbon pricing while planning your fuel transition.
Carbon capture on ships is a proven solution and commercially available for your fleet.
What it is:
Onboard carbon capture solution (CCS) that removes CO₂ from ship engine exhaust after combustion, liquefies it and stores it safely for offloading at port.
How well it works:
Where it applies:
Why it matters:
Commercial availability:
How it works:
Five‑stage process: Pre‑conditioning → Absorption → Desorption → Liquefaction → Storage
Regulations and carbon pricing are changing the cost of operating vessels.
The International Maritime Organization has set strict environmental regulations for decarbonisation. As soon as by 2030, the shipping industry’s total GHG emissions will need to have fallen by at least 20% compared to 2008 levels. Shipping needs practical ways to cut CO₂ today while the fuel transition evolves.
Decarbonisation can be achieved in three ways: burning less fuel, cleaning up emissions, and using alternative energy sources. Carbon capture technology is a powerful method for cleaning up emissions.
As mechanisms such as the EU ETS expand and carbon prices rise, emitting CO₂ will become steadily more expensive. In many operating profiles, this shift means that capturing emissions can become financially preferable to paying for allowances.
Onboard CCS offers shipowners a practical way to mitigate EU ETS exposure and safeguard charter competitiveness. What’s more, onboard CCS can do this now, without having to wait for alternative fuels to scale.
Acting now helps you secure retrofit slots and maintain flexibility in your decarbonisation plan.
Because CCS performance depends on engines, duty cycles and capture scope, a feasibility study is recommended to quantify the results you could expect.
Watch the video to learn how carbon capture could help shipowners meet their CO2 targets.
Full scale CCS on Clipper Eris
Clipper Eris, an ethylene carrier operated by the Norwegian Solvang Shipping is sailing with an onboard CCS system from Wärtsilä. This world-first full-scale maritime pilot has proven the technical viability of the Wärtsilä carbon capture solution for ships.
The pilot also tests how this technology can be integrated with land-based CCS infrastructure.
Key facts
Wärtsilä’s onboard carbon capture solution builds on decades of exhaust treatment integration experience. The system is designed to work with existing solutions and is supported throughout its lifecycle by Wärtsilä engineering expertise, documentation, training, and long-term service capabilities.
Explore the real-world results:
Onboard carbon capture is a method of capturing CO2 from fossil fuel after it is combusted in a marine engine, before it is released into the atmosphere. Wärtsilä has developed an industry-first full-scale onboard carbon capture system which has the potential to reduce a vessel’s CO2 emissions by up to 70%.
The Wärtsilä carbon capture solution for ships works in five main stages: pre-conditioning, absorption, desorption (or stripping), liquefaction and storage.
1. Pre-conditioning: depending on the fuel, the exhaust gas is cleaned of NOx, SOx and particulate matter and cooled down.
2. Absorption: The exhaust gas is mixed with a liquid solvent. This captures the CO2 in the solvent. The cleaned exhaust gas exits the system.
3. Desorption (or stripping): The CO2-saturated solvent is heated which releases the CO2. The lean solvent will be reused in the system.
4. Liquefaction: The CO2 is compressed, dried and cooled down to liquid form for storage.
5. Storage: The liquid CO2 is pumped to onboard tank(s), where it is stored until it can be offloaded.
Carbon capture technology from Wärtsilä is available as a retrofit and newbuild solution for any type of vessel. The following types of vessels will find it particularly interesting:
A selection of short reads and other resources to deepen your understanding of carbon capture solutions.
Clipper Eris reference page: See how the world’s first full‑scale onboard CCS performed at sea and what shipowners learned from the pilot.
The essentials – Carbon capture: 17 facts that smart marine professionals should know
Insights article – Carbon capture: how much could it help shipowners meet their CO₂ targets?
Launch press release: How Wärtsilä moved from pilot results to commercial availability with the first verified full‑scale CCS installation at sea
Exhaust treatment overview: See how CCS fits into Wärtsilä’s wider exhaust treatment portfolio and how these systems integrate on board.
Ready to take the next step?
Onboard carbon capture is no longer a future concept - it’s a proven solution that helps you cut emissions, protect compliance, and stay competitive.
Whether you’re exploring retrofit options or planning a newbuild, Wärtsilä can guide you through feasibility, integration, and ROI.
This page has been drafted with the help of AI. A human expert has checked and verified the final contents.