Climate-tech company Calcarea and naval architecture and marine engineering company Aurelia Design have entered into a collaboration to bring ocean-based carbon capture technology to the maritime sector. The partnership combines Calcarea’s unique carbon removal process with Aurelia’s expertise in green ship design and e-systems integration.
At the heart of the collaboration is Calcarea’s limestone weathering technology – a system that accelerates a natural process whereby carbon dioxide (CO₂) reacts with limestone and seawater, transforming it into stable bicarbonates safely stored in the ocean. The approach offers a nature-based, permanent and infrastructure-light solution to CO₂ capture and sequestration, ideal for maritime applications where seawater is readily available and continuously circulated.
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Working together, the two companies will develop a next-generation bulk carrier, fully integrating the Calcarea reactor and supporting systems into the vessel architecture. Aurelia will lead the naval architecture, system integration and class compliance engineering, ensuring the technology can operate efficiently and safely in real ship conditions without affecting cargo capacity.
The study includes analysis of seawater flow dynamics, intake and discharge configurations and hull shape, to maintain performance while minimising fuel impact. The design will serve as the foundation for a scalable and class-ready newbuild platform.
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‘We see shipping as one of the most natural environments for large-scale carbon removal,’ said Pierre Forin, co-founder and CTO of Calcarea. ‘Ships operate surrounded by seawater – the very medium our process uses. Partnering with Aurelia allows us to bridge science and engineering, and turn our technology into a deployable maritime system.’
‘What makes this collaboration exciting is that it’s not just another retrofit – it’s a new generation of clean ship design built around a truly regenerative technology,’ said Raffaele Frontera, founder and CEO of Aurelia. ‘Calcarea brings a breakthrough CO₂-capture process, and Aurelia brings the design and system expertise to make it practical, class-compliant and ready for industry adoption.’
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The phase 0 feasibility and concept study is now underway and will be followed by further engineering and validation phases as the technology advances toward approval in principle and demonstration.