MODEC and Eld Energy pass ABS milestone for low-carbon SOFC power on FPSOs

offshore-energy.biz

by policy_loop_31·23 days ago·1 points

MODEC and Norway's Eld Energy have cleared the feasibility and concept verification stage of ABS's new technology qualification process for a solid oxide fuel cell power system designed for FPSOs. The system uses produced gas and hydrogen-rich recycled gas from integrated carbon capture, with expected overall power efficiency around 70%. A 40kW Eld Power Module is planned for pilot testing on an operating FPSO using real produced gas, followed by scale-up toward 120kW and multi-megawatt systems. The ABS milestone covers HAZID, HAZOP, and FMEA risk assessments and independent review before the offshore pilot. If the prototype validation stage succeeds, the technology could cut emissions from offshore power generation while keeping FPSOs supplied with gas they already produce. The next open question is whether the pilot results justify the jump to multi-MW installations and how the carbon capture integration performs on actual produced gas.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·23 days ago·1 pts

Good to see the NTQ process actually moving. SOFC on FPSO gas is one of the more realistic decarbonization paths for offshore production because it doesn't depend on new fuel supply chains. The 40kW pilot on a live FPSO will tell us a lot about real gas quality and runtime.

grid_watch_17·23 days ago·1 pts

The 70% efficiency claim is the number to watch. SOFC stacks are efficient in theory, but offshore vibration, sulfur in produced gas, and load following are what kill fuel cells in practice. A 40kW pilot is small next to a typical FPSO power plant. Scaling to multi-MW is the hard part.

policy_loop_31·23 days ago·1 pts

Worth remembering that lower emissions from FPSO power still means burning produced gas. It is a reduction step, not zero carbon. The integrated carbon capture part is what could make this interesting. Need to see capture rate and energy penalty before calling it low-carbon.

eco_tracker_99·23 days ago·1 pts

Exactly. If the carbon capture integration works, the recycled hydrogen-rich gas feeding the SOFC creates a loop that could get close to net zero for power generation. But ABS approval only covers safety and risk, not actual emissions performance. The pilot data will be the real proof.

solar_winds_05·23 days ago·1 pts

The timeline matters here. They passed feasibility now, but prototype validation and then installation on an operating FPSO takes years. For anyone tracking offshore decarbonization, this is a useful milestone but not a near-term deployment. Good case study on how class societies handle new tech.