Seabound DAC Initiatives for 2025: Key Projects, Strategies and Partnerships

Seabound’s Voyage: From Pilot to Commercial Scale in Maritime Carbon Capture

Industry Adoption: A Rapid Shift from Proof-of-Concept to Commercial Deployment

Between 2021 and 2024, Seabound’s activities signaled a focused proof-of-concept phase for its onboard carbon capture (OCC) technology. The period was defined by foundational work: securing seed funding, forging an initial partnership with Lomarlabs, and culminating in the maiden voyage of its system on the Sounion Trader in February 2024. This pilot, which captured one metric ton of CO2 with 78% efficiency, was a critical validation point. The industry application was singular—a test on a single containership—demonstrating technical feasibility rather than commercial readiness. This phase highlighted an emerging opportunity to address maritime emissions, but the adoption was limited to a research and development context, proving the core calcium looping technology could work at sea.

The landscape transformed dramatically in 2025. Seabound moved decisively from pilot to commercial application, marking a significant inflection point for maritime carbon capture adoption. The variety of applications expanded from a single container ship trial to deploying the first commercial system on a working cement carrier, the UBC Cork. This strategic move to cement carriers, in partnership with Hartmann Group, InterMaritime Group, and Heidelberg Materials, showcases a sophisticated, circular economy approach—capturing CO2 and converting it into limestone, a valuable input for the cement industry. The achievement of the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of captured CO2 in July 2025 further validated the logistical viability of the solution. This diversification into different ship types and the focus on integrating with port infrastructure, as seen with the Associated British Ports partnership, indicates that the technology is not just being tested but is being integrated into real-world commercial operations, signaling broader industry adoption is underway.

Investment: Fueling a Commercial Breakthrough

Seabound’s funding journey illustrates a clear transition from early-stage venture capital to strategic, project-based financing that enables commercial scale. The initial seed round in 2022 provided the foundational capital to develop and pilot the technology. By 2025, the financial support evolved, highlighted by the significant funding secured by partner STAX Engineering. This $70 million, earmarked for scaling maritime carbon capture, directly supports the trials and development of Seabound’s systems, acting as a powerful catalyst for commercial deployment without direct equity investment. This shift from foundational VC funding to large-scale, partner-led project financing demonstrates growing confidence from the wider industrial and financial ecosystem in the technology’s commercial viability.

Table: Seabound-Related Investment and Financing

Partnerships: Building an Ecosystem for Decarbonization

Seabound’s partnership strategy has been the engine of its rapid progress, evolving from a narrow R&D focus to a broad, commercially-oriented ecosystem. Early collaborations, such as with Lomarlabs, were centered on technology development. The period from 2024 to today reveals a deliberate and accelerated expansion of its partnership network to cover the entire value chain. This includes shipping giants for deployment, technology firms for integration, and port authorities for logistics, creating a powerful network effect that de-risks and accelerates commercialization.

Table: Seabound’s Strategic Partnerships

Geography: From UK-Based Innovator to Global Operator

Between 2021 and 2024, Seabound’s operational geography was primarily centered in the UK, where the company is based. Its key activities, including technology development and the initial partnership with Lomarlabs, were rooted in Europe. The presentation of a case study to IMO Korea in March 2024 was an early signal of interest in the crucial Asian shipping market, but the company’s physical and commercial footprint remained nascent and localized.

The period from 2025 to today marks a significant geographic expansion, demonstrating the global nature of the maritime industry and Seabound’s strategy to match it. While still headquartered in London, its partnerships now span the globe. The company is actively working with German (Hartmann Group), Swiss (InterMaritime Group), and Japanese (NYK Line) shipping giants. This European and Asian commercial activity is complemented by a strategic move into the United States, evidenced by its membership in the Boston-based Greentown Labs and participation in the US-based Carbon to Value Initiative. This expansion into key maritime hubs in Europe, Asia, and North America indicates that the technology is becoming mainstream on a global scale, moving beyond a single region to address the international challenge of shipping emissions.

Technology Maturity: From Viable Prototype to Commercial System

In the 2021-2024 period, Seabound’s technology was firmly in the pilot and validation stage. The key milestone was the February 2024 maiden voyage on the Sounion Trader. This test served as a critical proof-of-concept, demonstrating that the calcium looping system could capture a meaningful percentage of emissions (78% CO2, >90% sulfur) in a real-world marine environment. The technology was a prototype, successfully capturing one ton of CO2, proving it worked but leaving questions of scale, cost, and logistical integration unanswered. The technology was mature enough for a successful pilot but not yet ready for commercial sales.

The data from 2025 reveals a rapid maturation from pilot to commercial-ready technology. The deployment of the first commercial system on the UBC Cork in July 2025 marks the transition from demo to product. This wasn’t just another pilot; it was a commercial installation on a working vessel. Further validation came with the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of captured CO2, demonstrating a viable solution to the logistical challenge of offloading. The technology’s performance has also scaled, with capture targets now cited as high as 95%. This shift from a single, one-ton capture event to a full-scale commercial system with a defined logistics pathway shows the technology has advanced to a level of maturity that is attracting major commercial partners and is ready for wider market deployment.

Table: SWOT Analysis of Seabound’s Strategic Position

Forward-Looking Insights: The Path to 1,000 Ships

The data from 2025 signals that Seabound is entering a rapid scaling phase, moving beyond single deployments to fleet-level implementation. The immediate year ahead will likely focus on executing and expanding upon the partnerships established in 2025. Market actors should pay close attention to the results from the trials with NYK Line and the feasibility study with Shell; a positive outcome from either would unlock the massive container ship and tanker markets, respectively. The partnership with Heidelberg Materials and the focus on cement carriers is a key signal gaining traction. This circular economy approach is a powerful differentiator, turning a waste stream into a revenue-generating product and making the economics of carbon capture more attractive. We should expect to see Seabound announce further partnerships with cement producers and shipping companies operating in that vertical. The company’s ambitious goal of equipping 1,000 ships by 2030, which seemed aspirational in 2024, now appears grounded in a tangible commercial strategy. The key signal to watch is the transition from single-vessel commercial deployments to multi-vessel fleet agreements, which will be the ultimate validation of Seabound’s market leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the major turning point for Seabound in 2025?
In 2025, Seabound transitioned from a pilot phase to a commercial one. The key events marking this shift were the deployment of its first commercial system on a working cement carrier, the UBC Cork, and the successful execution of the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of captured CO2, proving both commercial and logistical viability.

How does Seabound’s partnership with the cement industry create a ‘circular economy’?
Seabound’s technology captures CO2 and converts it into limestone. Through its partnership with companies like Heidelberg Materials, this captured limestone is then used as a valuable raw material in cement production. This turns a waste emission from shipping into a valuable input for another industry, creating a closed-loop, circular model.

What was the significance of the pilot test on the Sounion Trader in 2024?
The pilot test on the Sounion Trader was a critical proof-of-concept. It validated that Seabound’s calcium looping technology could work effectively in a real-world marine environment by capturing one metric ton of CO2 with 78% efficiency. This successful test provided the foundational evidence needed to attract commercial partners and investment for the next phase.

How has Seabound’s funding strategy evolved over time?
Seabound’s funding began with a $4.4 million seed round in 2022 to support initial R&D and pilot testing. By 2025, its financial support evolved to strategic, project-based financing, highlighted by the $70 million secured by its partner, STAX Engineering, which directly funds the scaling and commercial deployment of Seabound’s technology.

Beyond Europe, where is Seabound expanding its operations and partnerships?
Seabound is expanding globally into key maritime hubs. In Asia, it has partnered with Japan’s NYK Line for carbon capture trials. In North America, it has joined the Boston-based Greentown Labs incubator and the US-based Carbon to Value Initiative to build its network and scale its technology in the American market.

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