China builds world’s first oil ship that captures carbon
China has built a new type of oil production ship that can capture carbon emissions as part of major efforts to reduce pollution.
The ship, which is 330 metres long, is the first of its kind in the world.
It was developed by China’s state-owned Cosco Ocean Shipping Heavy Industry Company and will be delivered by the end of the month, according to state media.
This floating production storage and offloading unit, known as an FPSO, can produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day.
It has the ability to trap the carbon dioxide it emits instead of releasing it into the air and also uses the heat from its exhaust gases to generate electricity, making it more energy-efficient.
China has been working to reduce its carbon footprint. In 2023, its largest offshore oil company, CNOOC, launched the country’s first carbon capture and storage project at an oilfield in Guangdong province. That facility can store 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Other oil and gas companies around the world are also exploring similar technology.
In January, an American agency approved a design for a carbon-capturing ammonia production unit, while a Dutch company is working on its own version of a carbon-capture FPSO.
China, the world’s largest polluter, has pledged to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2060.
