Bofort is actively involved in various carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. The most notable of our carbon capture projects is with Blue Water Shipping A/S, Denmark and Project Greensand, in which we are the exclusive provider of a large number of ISO tanks moving liquid CO₂ from Antwerp to the Nini West field in the North Sea, offshore Denmark, during the first phase of this project.
Photo: INEOS Energy
How Bofort ISO tanks connect CO2 emitters to storage providers
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What is Carbon Capture?
Carbon capture is the process of separating carbon dioxide (CO₂) from emissions on site, preventing the gas entering the atmosphere.
The CO₂ is captured from the gas flow of industrial plants, waste-to-energy facilities and power stations, then purified and liquefied so it can be transported for permanent storage in deep geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas fields beneath the seabed, or reused as a feedstock. Together, these steps are known as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). It is one of the few proven ways to cut emissions from industries that cannot simply switch to renewable electricity.
Captured CO₂ only becomes climate action once it can be moved safely and reliably from where it is produced to where it is stored. That is where Bofort plays its part. Our cryogenic ISO tank containers are engineered to transport liquid CO₂ (UN 2187) under controlled temperature and pressure, seamlessly across road, rail and sea. This was proven in practice in Project Greensand, the world's first cross-border offshore CO₂ storage project, where liquid CO₂ was transported in ISO tank containers supplied by Bofort from the Port of Antwerp to the Nini West field in the Danish North Sea. What was demonstrated in the pilot is now scaling up, and Bofort's tank fleet makes carbon capture and storage possible today.
Carbon capture technology is a process with three steps.
Greensand CCS pilot
STEP ONE
Capture the carbon (by partners such as ARC).
STEP TWO
Transport the carbon, as proven in the Project Greensand pilot phase.
STEP THREE
Store the carbon deep underground, rendering it harmless.
Carbon Dioxide: A Necessary and Useful Gas
Carbon dioxide is a gas that is essential for life on Earth. Humans need carbon dioxide to regulate respiration and control blood pH. Plants use carbon dioxide to create oxygen through photosynthesis.
However, carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas, which means that it traps heat in the atmosphere. This can contribute to climate change. As a result, there is increasing policy and legislation being enacted around the world to limit CO₂ atmospheric emissions.
Despite its negative environmental impact, carbon dioxide also has many beneficial uses in society. Here are just a few:
Food preservation
Carbon dioxide can be used to preserve or freeze foods. Liquid carbon dioxide or dry ice is used to quickly freeze foods. This preserves their color and texture by limiting the formation of ice particles.
Meat and poultry processing
Carbon dioxide is used throughout the meat and poultry industry in such applications as animal stunning and to keep meat cool during blending.
Medical applications
Dry ice is often used in many medical applications such as flash freezing biological samples, removing growths, and providing refrigeration for vaccines and other cooled medications during transportation.
Agriculture
Carbon dioxide is used to create enhanced growing atmospheres in greenhouses and similar growing environments. The enhanced atmosphere promotes better, faster growth with higher product yields.
Water and wastewater treatment
Carbon dioxide is used in water and wastewater treatment to control pH. Alternatives, such as acid and chlorine, are available, but they have serious health and safety concerns.
Cleaning
Dry ice is used across many industries to clean surfaces and increase sanitation without introducing environmental toxins that are produced using other cleaning materials. It can also be used as an environmentally friendly way to quickly stop leaks and remediate industrial spills, leaving no waste product behind after the cleanup effort.
Medical diagnostics
Carbon dioxide is used with oxygen and other gases in specialty gas mixtures to help diagnose disease. For example, mixtures of oxygen with varying amounts of carbon dioxide are used to assess lung function for patients with respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Solvents
Carbon dioxide is an effective cleaning solvent, used in industries such as semiconductor or electronic manufacture, eliminating the need to use other solvents with known physiological or environmental problems. Dry ice is also used for blast cleaning, replacing sand and other grit materials.
Carbonated beverages
Carbon dioxide puts the “fizz” into carbonated beverages. Without carbon dioxide, many beverages, such as soda, soft drinks, and beer, would be very flat.
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