China recently completed the construction of the world's first offshore floating production and storage vessel equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The vessel is scheduled for delivery by the end of February.
The ship, measuring 333 meters in length and 60 meters in width, has a daily crude oil production capacity of 120,000 barrels. It has the ability to capture carbon dioxide produced during both its voyage and oil production processes.
Additionally, it harnesses waste heat from exhaust gases to generate electricity, fulfilling both environmental protection and energy-saving goals. This technological breakthrough marks a significant step forward for China in the field of offshore carbon capture.
"The high tower you see here is actually a collection and cleansing tower for carbon capture. The pipes labeled with green marks are the entry points for exhaust gases, which are drawn into the cleansing tower by the fans. Inside the tower, there are absorbents that capture the hydrocarbons from the exhaust gases, resulting in exhaust air with significantly lower carbon emissions," said Xu Xiaohua, senior project manager at Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., the builder of the vessel.
In 2023, global offshore oil and gas production emitted approximately 38 million tons of CO2. The figure is expected to rise to nearly 50 million tons by 2030 if without any control.
Carbon capture and storage technologies offer a greater potential for reducing emissions in offshore oil and gas operations, providing a new solution for achieving global carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.
China constructs world’s first offshore floating production, storage vessel with carbon capture technology
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing said on Tuesday that China will further enhance technological innovation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) so that it can better serve global users.
Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a speech delivered at the 5th International Summit on BDS Applications held in Zhuzhou in central China's Hunan Province.
He said China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the principles of openness and integration, coordination and cooperation, as well as mutual complementarity for shared benefits.
He said China will strengthen the integration of BeiDou with artificial intelligence, satellite internet and other technologies, continue to advance system iteration and upgrading, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the BeiDou industry.
China will seek to enhance the system's applications in terms of service coverage and quality and contribute to global governance in satellite navigation, Zhang noted.
The BeiDou system benefits not only the Chinese people but also people around the world. The BDS has been providing stable and reliable positioning, navigation and timing services to users worldwide with its continuously improving performances and service quality, as well as its steadily expanding application scenarios and scale, according to Zhang.
The BDS has been used in a wide range of fields, including transportation, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, hydrological monitoring, meteorological forecasting and disaster relief.
About 900 people, including Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, business leaders, government officials and representatives of international organizations, attended the summit's opening ceremony.
The Chinese vice premier also met with Prime Minister of Madagascar Mamitiana Rajaonarison prior to the opening ceremony.
Zhang said that China stands ready to work with Madagascar to fully implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit in 2024.
Rajaonarison reiterated Madagascar's adherence to the one-China principle, adding his country is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields.
China to further improve BeiDou tech innovation: vice premier
