Hitachi, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Japan Airlines (JAL) have signed a memorandum of understanding for a direct ocean capture (DOC) pilot test on Kume Island, Okinawa Prefecture.
In the pilot, the companies aim to test the applicability of DOC technology and obtain data on operational challenges and environmental impacts, for the long-term goal of the utilisation of captured CO2. DOC separates and captures CO2 that has dissolved in sea water.
Hitachi will lead the pilot, utilising analytical instruments and characterisation methods to measure and record operating status, water quality and environmental data, which is then put through AI and sent back to the plant operations. MOL and JAL will build relationships with local stakeholders and leverage regional partnerships and prepare the pilot environment, contributing to the use of DOC technology and creating new local business on Kume Island.
According to MOL’s press release, “The three companies have invested in Captura Corp, a US-based DOC technology developer, through their respective investment subsidiaries and other channels, and have been jointly exploring a domestic pilot test toward the deployment of Captura’s technology in Japan by combining the expertise of each company. The companies position this pilot test as a first step toward building an island-based, domestically self-sufficient carbon economy in which the recovered CO2 is ultimately utilised as a feedstock for synthetic fuels such as e-SAF.”
Hitachi, MOL and JAL Sign MOU for DOC Pilot Test
