The International Chamber of Shipping has released a new Lloyd’s Register Advisory report highlighting onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS) as a near-term option to help ships reduce emissions amid limited availability of alternative marine fuels. The study outlines OCCS as a transitional decarbonisation solution for existing and new vessels, assessing its technology readiness, costs, safety, and regulatory landscape as shipping moves toward stricter GHG targets.
London | June 9, 2026 – The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has released a comprehensive review of onboard carbon capture and storage (OCCS), identifying the technology as one of the few near-term solutions capable of delivering significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions for ships expected to continue operating on conventional and transition fuels through the 2030s.
Prepared by Lloyd’s Register Advisory, the report provides strategic guidance for shipowners navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of onboard carbon capture technologies as the maritime industry works to comply with increasingly stringent global emissions regulations.
Table of Contents
Practical decarbonisation pathway
The report comes at a critical stage in shipping’s energy transition, with the industry facing tighter International Maritime Organization (IMO) greenhouse gas regulations while large-scale supplies of zero-carbon marine fuels remain limited.
According to ICS, this gap has increased industry interest in onboard carbon capture and storage as a practical compliance pathway for both existing vessels and newbuildings.
The report concludes that OCCS could play an important role in reducing tank-to-wake carbon dioxide emissions during the transition period before green fuels become widely available and commercially viable.
Comprehensive technology assessment
The review provides shipowners with an independent assessment of the current state of OCCS technologies, evaluating available systems across several critical factors including:
- Technology readiness
- Fuel consumption
- Capital and operating costs
- Safety considerations
- Environmental performance
- Regulatory developments
The study also examines the evolving international regulatory framework governing onboard carbon capture, an area expected to become increasingly important as deployment accelerates.
Supporting compliance through the 2030s
One of the report’s key findings is that onboard carbon capture represents one of the few technologies capable of delivering meaningful emissions reductions for vessels that will continue operating on conventional fuels or transitional alternatives throughout the next decade.
With much of the global fleet expected to remain in service well beyond 2030, retrofit technologies are likely to become increasingly important alongside the gradual introduction of low- and zero-carbon fuels.
Industry calls for practical guidance
ICS Technical Director Chris Waddington said onboard carbon capture could make an important contribution while the shipping industry waits for sufficient supplies of green fuels. “It will be some years before the availability of the green fuels matches demand, and in the meantime OCCS has the potential to make a significant contribution to shipping’s decarbonisation.”
He added that the growing number of technologies and the evolving regulatory environment have created uncertainty for shipowners, making the report a valuable starting point for companies evaluating carbon capture as part of their long-term decarbonisation strategies.
Shipowners require investment certainty
Olympia Tsitonaki, Decarbonisation Specialist at Lloyd’s Register Advisory and project lead for the report, said the industry needs practical solutions that can improve emissions performance without compromising operational efficiency.
“Shipowners need practical options they can act on now to improve emissions performance while continuing to operate efficiently. As regulation tightens, the industry is looking for tools, insights and assurance that can support better decisions across fleet operations and investment planning. This report provides a clearer view of where onboard carbon capture stands today, the challenges still to be addressed, and how it could support compliance and efficiency goals in the years ahead.”
According to Tsitonaki, the report offers a clearer understanding of the current maturity of onboard carbon capture technologies, the remaining technical challenges and their potential contribution to future emissions reduction strategies.
Growing role alongside alternative fuels
Although alternative fuels such as green methanol, ammonia and hydrogen are expected to play a central role in achieving shipping’s long-term decarbonisation objectives, their limited availability and higher costs continue to present challenges for widespread adoption.
As a result, technologies such as onboard carbon capture are receiving increasing attention as complementary solutions capable of reducing emissions from vessels operating on conventional or transition fuels.
The report suggests that OCCS could become an important bridge technology while global production, infrastructure and supply chains for low- and zero-carbon marine fuels continue to expand.
Supporting the maritime energy transition
The publication reflects growing industry efforts to identify practical and commercially viable pathways toward compliance with tightening greenhouse gas regulations while maintaining operational flexibility.
By providing an independent assessment of technology readiness, costs, safety and regulatory developments, ICS and Lloyd’s Register Advisory aim to help shipowners make informed decisions as the maritime sector advances toward net-zero emissions.
About Lloyd’s Register Advisory
Lloyd’s Register Advisory is the consulting division of Lloyd’s Register, providing technical, commercial and strategic advisory services across the maritime and energy sectors. The business supports shipowners, ports, governments, financiers and energy companies on decarbonisation, digitalisation, regulatory compliance and operational performance as the industry transitions toward a low-carbon future.
About the International Chamber of Shipping
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal global trade association representing merchant shipowners and operators. Its members account for more than 80% of the world’s merchant fleet across all sectors of international shipping.
Source: ICS