Modeling, screening, and techno-economic evaluation of metal-organic frameworks for boil-off gas capture during intercontinental transportation of LNG

Intercontinental transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) relies on the energy-intensive re-liquefaction process to minimize boil-off gas (BOG) losses during trips. Previous research efforts have focused on improving and optimizing the existing process designs to treat BOGs. In this work, we developed an energy-efficient high-pressure and low-temperature (HPLT) adsorption process using nanoporous materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), for boil-off gas treatment. A high-throughput, multiscale modeling campaign was carried out to discover high-performance nanoporous materials. Our analyses show that the developed HPLT adsorption process with the optimal adsorbent is more economical than the current state-of-the-art processes for 8-day and 13-day trips, with annualized savings of $1.0–2.0 million per ship. We discuss related challenges and opportunities based on adsorbed storage tank for international energy transportation.