China Unveils World's First Oil Production Ship with Carbon Capture Technology

The vessel minimizes carbon emissions at oil production through the use of carbon capture and storage technology.

The oil and gas sector alone provided 5.1 billion tonnes of GHG emissions in 2022, or around 15% of energy-related emissions globally.

China has commissioned the world's first carbon capture and storage oil production and storage vessel offshore.

China explains that the FPSO is tailor-made by state-owned Cosco Ocean Shipping Heavy Industry Company to extract oil in a non-destructive manner. The vessel will be 330 meters in length, producing 120,000 barrels of crude oil per day and has to be delivered by February 2025.

The FPSO is specially designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) in oil production. It captures heat from exhaust gases to generate electricity, improving energy efficiency and minimizing environmental damage and carbon prints, in contrast to other ships.

Offshore oil and gas production is one of the most carbon-polluting industries globally, accounting for 5.1 billion tonnes of GHG emissions in 2022, as stated by the International Energy Agency. Carbon capture technology is becoming an important tool for lowering the oil and gas sector's carbon impact.

Other companies that have been conducting similar work include, for instance, American Bureau of Shipping, which recently approved an onboard capture ammonia production equipment design, and SBM Offshore, which is building its own FPSO based on technology and facilities of the same magnitude.

China is the largest carbon emitter globally, and the world's second most populous country has also committed to becoming net-zero by 2060. The target in mind, China National Offshore Oil Corporation in 2023 announced that it will proceed with a carbon capture storage unit at Enping 15-1 oilfield, where it will be capable of capturing 300,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to planting 14 million trees.

Source: South China Morning Post