Japanese offshore engineering company MODEC and Norway’s Eld Energy have signed an MoU to develop a 1.2MW power system integrated with carbon capture for floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSOs).
Under the agreement, Eld Energy will lead the design, procurement and construction of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-based power system, including testing and validation. MODEC will develop the carbon capture facility and integrate the combined system into FPSO designs.
The companies are targeting onshore testing of the 1.2 MW unit in 2029, followed by a long-term demonstration programme.
The project is focused on integrating carbon capture with onboard power generation systems, rather than capturing emissions from hydrocarbon production or processing activities on the FPSO.
The agreement builds on collaboration that began in 2025 on the application of SOFC technology in offshore environments. According to the companies, the collaboration has progressed from a 40kW system to a 120kW solid oxide fuel cell and carbon capture pilot project.
The companies said the new phase is intended to demonstrate the scalability of the technology and the integration of carbon capture with offshore power generation systems.
SOFCs generate electricity by directly converting chemical energy into electrical energy at high temperatures and can operate on a range of fuels. MODEC said the technology could be combined with carbon capture systems as part of efforts to reduce emissions from FPSO power generation.
MODEC said: ‘SOFCs convert chemical energy directly to electricity at high temperature and can accept multiple fuels, and when combined with carbon capture system they offer a practical pathway to deep decarbonization of FPSO power without compromising uptime.’
The MoU was signed in Tokyo during the official visit to Japan by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and in the presence of Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry.
