MODEC advances fuel cell pilot for floating oil platform

MODEC

JAPANESE floating oil platform developer MODEC has signed an agreement to scale up its pilot fuel cell project, tripling planned power output for a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).

MODEC and Norwegian company Eld Energy announced a project to develop a 40 kW solid oxide fuel cell for a FPSO in mid-2025, with installation originally targeted for this year. Under a new agreement, the system will instead be scaled up to 120 kW. The companies also plan to integrate a CO2 capture and fuel recovery system into the unit. MODEC ultimately aims to meet the multi-MW demand of its FPSOs with carbon capture-enabled fuel cells.

Onshore operational testing is scheduled to begin by 2027, with a full offshore demonstration targeted for 2028.

FPSOs are typically powered by gas turbines. The 18 FPSOs operated by MODEC in 2024 emitted a combined 5.4m tCO2e, up from 3.8m tCO2e in 2021 as the company expanded its fleet.

Although the solid oxide fuel cells will still run on natural gas, MODEC expects higher electrical efficiency than conventional gas turbines, reducing emissions even before carbon capture is deployed.