In a recent state broadcast, China announced it has constructed the first offshore oil ship for production and storage that can capture carbon dioxide.
The technological and engineering achievement is a first for the world and takes the nation another step closer to reaching its carbon emissions goals.
Every year, gas and oil production releases high levels of carbon dioxide. The International Energy Agency stated that oil and gas extraction, processing and transport generated 5.1 billion tonnes of emissions in 2022, comprising approximately 15 per cent of all energy-related emissions in the world.
As a result, from Shell to Mobil, major lubricant suppliers are constantly seeking more environmentally friendly ways to produce, store and transport the crude oil they convert into industrial solutions like gear oil, gas engine oil and other lubricants.
The new report unveiled that that the floating 330-metre-long production, storage and offloading vessel will be ready for active service before March. The new unit was designed and developed by the Cosco Ocean Shipping Heavy Industry Company, a state-owned business, and is engineered to carry both carbon capture and carbon storage apparatus. It has an impressive 120,000 barrels per day production capacity of crude oil.
The vessel’s design is unique because, along with capturing the carbon dioxide it emits, it also employs exhaust gas heat to generate electricity. This empowers the unit to answer its two key aims of increased energy savings and improved environmental protection, marking a key milestone for China in carbon capture offshore.
