CO₂ by Sea

Shipping CO₂ on Standard Container Vessels

A Smarter Way to Move CO₂ Across Oceans

Traditional CO₂ shipping requires specialized liquefied CO₂ carriers (LCO₂ vessels).

DecarbonICE takes a different approach.

By transporting CO₂ as solid (dry ice) in insulated 20-foot containers, CO₂ can be shipped on standard container vessels - just like any other intermodal cargo.

No Need for Specialized LCO₂ Carriers

Liquefied CO₂ carriers are:

Highly specialized vessels
Built for one single cargo
Capital-intensive
Limited in flexibility

The cost of a dedicated LCO₂ vessel can be up to 3× higher than a comparable container vessel.

With DecarbonICE:

CO₂ becomes containerized cargo.
It moves on existing global container fleets.

Advantages

Capacity

A standard 2,000 TEU container vessel can carry CO₂ volumes corresponding to approximately a 20,000 m³ liquefied CO₂ carrier.
But unlike an LCO₂ vessel:
The ship does not depend on a single cargo.
It can be redeployed immediately.
It operates within established global shipping routes.
This creates scalability without infrastructure bottlenecks.
30% Lower Cost

For a typical value chain that includes: Trucking from capture site to port, Port handling, Maritime transport, Delivery to storage hub
Transporting CO₂ via a traditional LCO₂ carrier is approximately:
~30% more expensive than transporting solid CO₂ in DecarbonICE containers on a standard containership.
Why?
No cryogenic ship CAPEX burden, No specialized port terminals, No dedicated fleet financing, Better vessel utilization rates
The economics favor flexibility.
Port Simplicity

No Intermediate Storage Required
Traditional LCO₂ shipping requires: Cryogenic storage tanks at loading port, Cryogenic storage tanks at receiving port, Specialized pumping systems, Complex safety zones
With DecarbonICE: The container is the storage unit.
At the loading port: Containers arrive sealed and ready for vessel loading.
At the receiving port: Containers are unloaded and moved directly to reliquefaction or storage.
No additional bulk storage infrastructure required.
This dramatically reduces port CAPEX.
Safety Advantage

Solid CO₂ transport operates at near atmospheric pressure.
Compared to liquefied CO₂ shipping:
No high-pressure cryogenic tanks onboard
Lower accident severity risk
Simplified vessel safety requirements
Reduced regulatory complexity
The system is inherently safer in marine environments.
Minimal additional safety measures are required compared to traditional container cargo.
Lower Risk

Dedicated LCO₂ carriers: Require heavy upfront capital investment, Lock capital into single-purpose assets, Create long-term infrastructure dependency
DecarbonICE maritime transport: Leverages existing container fleets, Requires minimal dedicated maritime CAPEX, Shifts cost structure toward operational expenditure (OPEX), Reduces financial risk
This makes scaling faster and less capital intensive.