Italy-based Ecospray has developed an onboard carbon capture system based on molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) technology and is aiming for mass production by 2025.

MCFCs are strategic in the context of the energy transition precisely due to their capacity to capture the CO2 in exhaust gases and generate additional clean energy, reducing the parasitic energy demand from the system, says Filippo Lossani, Marine Business Unit Director of Ecospray.

MCFCs can be powered by methane (LNG, bio-LNG), hydrogen, ammonia, syngas and other fuels providing they are reformed externally or directly inside the cell to produce hydrogen which is then fed to the fuel cell’s anode. In Ecospray’s marinised system, the CO2-rich exhaust gas coming from a power generation system is fed to the cathode, and up to 90% of the CO2 is then captured. At this point, the CO2 transferred at the anode outlet can be easily separated and liquefied for storage or further usage. The system’s only other outputs are water and air.