Baker Hughes to supply turbocompressors for offshore CCS project

Petronas’ logo is shown at its office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo: Reuters.)

Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering has hired Baker Hughes to supply carbon dioxide compression equipment for an offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) project managed by Malaysia’s state-held Petronas. The project, once complete, is expected to be the world’s largest offshore CCS facility, with the capacity to cut CO2 emissions by 3.3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), Baker Hughes announced.

Baker Hughes will deliver compression equipment with a minimized footprint and weight and power density, which allows for larger flows per unit at the Carigali Sdn. Bhd.’s Kasawari offshore (CCS) project in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The compressors will be used to enable the transportation and reinjection of the CO2 separated from natural gas into a depleted offshore field via a subsea pipeline.

The CCS project is expected to significantly reduce CO2 volume currently emitted via flaring of the overall Kasawari gas development, supporting Petronas’ ambitions to unlock Malaysia’s potential to be a global carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) hub and enable the company to progress towards achieving its own net zero carbon emission targets by 2050.

“This award demonstrates the viability of significant, commercial-scale carbon-capture projects, which are critical for the energy transition,” said Rod Christie, executive vice president of Industrial & Energy Technology at Baker Hughes. “This project proves that CCS technology can be deployed even in challenging environments, including offshore gas facilities, and provides an important step forward for reducing emissions from natural gas production.”

Baker Hughes will deliver two trains of low-pressure booster compressors to enable CO2 removal through membrane separation technology, as well as two trains for reinjecting the separated CO2 into a dedicated storage site.

The trains, which will be fitted with PGT25+ and PGT25 gas turbines with dry low emission technology, offer greater fuel efficiency and reduced nitrogen oxides emissions even with high CO2 content fuel gas, Baker Hughes said. The compressors’ casing also enables a reduced footprint compared to other standard solutions, a key differentiator in an offshore environment.

Petronas made a final investment decision to develop the Carigali Sdn. Bhd.’s Kasawari CCS project on Oct. 20.