FPSOs require more energy for crude oil production than power generation plants. MODEC is advancing the development of a technology that has the potential to reduce the energy needed for CO₂ separation in FPSOs, thereby enhancing overall energy efficiency of FPSO operations.

In August 2024, MODEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (hereinafter “Kawasaki,”) for the joint development of a carbon capture facility designed to process gas turbine exhaust on FPSOs. As part of this collaboration, MODEC and Kawasaki conducted technology evaluation programs for the solid sorbent employed in Kawasaki’s CO₂ capture technology called “Kawasaki CO₂ Capture (KCC).”

KCC employes a solid sorbent with an amine coating applied to the surface of a porous material. This innovative design enables CO₂ desorption using low-temperature heat sources, such as low-grade waste heat, significantly reducing the energy requirements of carbon capture facilities. Additionally, the KCC Moving-bed system circulates the solid sorbent to facilitate continuous CO₂ recovery, making it highly suitable for large scale carbon capture operations and enabling compact system design, which ensures potential applicability for the use on FPSOs.

As part of the current evaluation program, we plan to measure and assess the absorption performance and degradation rate of the solid sorbent through exposure tests using simulated gas compositions that replicate the exhaust gas of gas turbines on FPSOs.

Based on the results of this evaluation program, starting this fiscal year, we aim to advance the development of processes tailored to the exhaust gas properties for FPSOs, minimize equipment footprints to accommodate the limited loading areas on FPSOs, and optimize machinery design for offshore operations, particularly with regard to performance under wave-induced motion.