According to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), China successfully launched its inaugural offshore million-tonne carbon storage project in the South China Sea on Thursday.
The project’s objective is to store over 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting approximately 14 million trees, as reported by the company.
Located 200 kilometers southwest of Shenzhen, the project is deployed to serve the Enping 15-1 oil platform. It involves capturing and processing CO2 from oilfields, then injecting it into a geological structure known as a “dome.” This structure lies approximately 800 meters beneath the seabed and roughly 3 kilometers away from the platform.
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The successful operation of this project signifies China’s significant progress in acquiring a comprehensive set of technologies and equipment for capturing, processing, injecting, storing, and monitoring CO2 at sea.
Moreover, this achievement paves the way for China to achieve its “dual carbon” goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and attaining carbon neutrality by 2060, according to the company.
Building upon this project’s success, CNOOC has embarked on China’s first 10-million-tonne carbon capture and storage cluster initiative in Huizhou, located in the southern Guangdong Province. This new undertaking aims to capture CO2 emitted in Daya Bay and transport it to the Pearl River Mouth Basin sea area for storage.
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