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The shipping industry moves over 80% of global trade – but it’s also responsible for more than 800 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. And while new fuels and ship designs may chart a greener course for the future, they do little to help the vast fleet of existing vessels still on the water today.
That’s the challenge UK-based engineers Alisha Fredriksson and Roujia Wen set out to solve – and their breakthrough innovation has now earned them a place among the top 10 global selected scientists for the Young Inventors Prize 2025, awarded by the European Patent Office (EPO).
A compact solution for a major industry challenge
Together, Fredriksson, a Swedish-Canadian climate tech entrepreneur, and Wen, a Chinese engineer with a background in AI and applied mathematics, co-founded in the UK Seabound—a startup that has developed a compact, retrofittable carbon capture system for ships. Unlike most industrial carbon capture systems, which require complex onboard storage or high-pressure tanks, Seabound’s device captures CO₂ directly from ship exhaust and binds it with a lime-based sorbent, transforming it into solid limestone pellets. The process is simple, safe, and designed to operate on any commercial cargo vessel.
“If you picture a little rock, it’s basically like a sponge for CO₂,” explains Fredriksson. “When the CO₂ passes over the pebble, it soaks it up – and then it’s trapped inside that pebble.”
The system is modular and scalable. It can be installed in standard shipping containers and powered using heat from the ship’s exhaust, requiring minimal additional energy. Once captured, the limestone pellets can be offloaded as ordinary cargo, avoiding the need for specialised port infrastructure. The material can either be sold for use in construction or post-processed to release and reuse the CO₂, allowing the lime to be recycled for future capture cycles.
From university collaboration to real-world impact
Fredriksson and Wen first met at university and launched Seabound in 2021. Fredriksson had worked in maritime e-fuels, where she saw firsthand the scarcity of captured CO₂ needed for production. Wen’s expertise in systems engineering helped them develop a working prototype. “Initially, people thought it was crazy that we were taking on such a big challenge,” says Wen. “Until they saw our six-metre-tall prototype actually built. Then they started seeing that it’s real – and it’s happening.”
Their system has since been tested at sea on a commercial cargo vessel, capturing CO₂ at 78% efficiency and sulphur emissions at 90% efficiency, according to Seabound. The technology not only meets environmental targets, but also offers shipowners a cost-effective alternative to replacing entire fleets – a critical bridge solution for the industry.
“Sustainability means building a world that works for both people and the planet,” says Wen. “Not just for today but for generations to come.”
The duo’s innovation directly supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), offering a scalable way to slash emissions in one of the hardest-to-abate sectors.
Their innovation shows that cleaning up the high seas doesn’t have to wait for the future: It can start with the ships already on the water.