A Floating Hub Solution for Offshore CO2 Injection and Sequestration

Abstract

This paper describes a new offshore CO2 sequestration concept: The Floating Hub Solution for Offshore CO2 Injection and Sequestration called in this paper Offshore C-Hub, proposes a flexible transport and storage solution for captured and liquefied carbon dioxide. The Offshore C-Hub allows permanent CO2 sequestration in an offshore geological reservoir from multiple CO2 emitters via an offshore floating storage and injection facility. The paper details key elements of the concept, tested in different case studies, and shares results on technical, economic and carbon footprint assessments. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is circa 10% of the total expected reduction for global Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in the next 30 years (IEA, 2018). Therefore, the contemplated unit will enable a significant CO2 injection capacity (several Million tons per annum) to provide an industrial scale solution. The Offshore C-Hub concept is a novel floating facility allowing temporary storage and processing of CO2 prior to its continuous injection into a geological reservoir. It is part of a global CO2 management chain comprising the following steps: Onshore CO2 capture, liquefaction, and temporary storage (or from offshore oil and gas production facilities) Liquid CO2 transportation by ships Offshore CO2 offloading to the Offshore C-Hub Offshore C-Hub injection process and storage Subsea systems to inject the CO2 in the geological reservoir The generic studies demonstrate the Offshore C-Hub technical and economic feasibility considering a logistical approach and based on the main technological choices for some of the key components. The paper also assesses the technology maturity of the proposed system. The carbon footprint assessment finally allows identification of alternate means to ensure a low carbon solution and reinforces the performance of the solution. Until today, projects involving CO2 injection in geological reservoirs have been based on onshore or offshore pipelines. This work describes a new floating solution for offshore CO2 continuous injection and sequestration. The paper explains the key benefits of this solution, such as adaptability to project specifics (capacity, distances, etc.) and the ability to receive CO2 from multiple emitters in various locations. The floating concept also provides strategic advantage by allowing rapid deployment and potential future relocation.