Demand for increasingly complex FPSOs continues to grow, but operators are also facing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and execute projects amid supply chain constraints.

In exclusive interviews with Offshore during ROG.e 2026, three MODEC executives discussed how digital technologies, decarbonization strategies and evolving project delivery models are shaping the future of floating production systems.

AI and digital twins move beyond pilot projects

Rei Yasumuro, global director of digital and analytics with MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore), highlighted the Lighthouse predictive maintenance platform, which was built by MODEC spin-off Shape Digital. 

"It monitors equipment health across our operating fleet using AI and analytics, and flags early signs of possible failure before it turns into an actual failure," he said.

Yasumuro said the Lighthouse platform has delivered up to a 25-fold return on investment, helped maintain fleet uptime above 98% and reduced downtime by more than 30%.

"Digital isn't a tool we bolt on to make things a bit more efficient. It's part of our culture," Yasumuro added. "Design and operations discipline still sets the foundation, but the digital layer is what's pushing performance further from there. Catching issues earlier, giving teams more lead time to act. That's the piece we're leaning into hardest, because it's where we see the most room to keep improving."

He also explained that digital twins now support turnaround planning, startup optimization and operational decision-making.

"Five years ago, digital twins were largely used as a visualization and training aid," he said. "Looking ahead, we want to push digital twins further upstream, so they inform design decisions earlier in a project, and further into operations, so they become a standing decision support tool for the life of the asset rather than a one-time exercise at startup."

Multiple pathways to FPSO decarbonization

Fernando Siqueira, technical director at MODEC Americas Operations, said that FPSO decarbonization will not be achieved through a single technology, but rather through a combination of operational improvements, digital tools, more efficient power generation and emerging low-carbon solutions.

"Rather than relying on a single technology, our approach is to combine operational efficiency, digitalization, more efficient power generation and new decarbonization technologies," he said.

He noted that many of the most immediate emissions reductions are coming from practical operational and engineering improvements on existing assets.

On FPSO Cidade de Angra dos Reis MV22, MODEC enhanced the carbon-capture system for fuel gas used in power-generation turbines and installed a more efficient flare tip. Together, the initiatives have the potential to avoid about 3,200 tonnes of CO₂e emissions annually.

Siqueira also explained how existing and newbuild FPSOs require different strategies.

"The main difference is the degree of freedom you have to make changes," he added. 

While newbuild FPSOs can incorporate emissions-reduction technologies during the design phase, existing units must accommodate constraints related to space, weight, safety and operational continuity.

On new-generation FPSOs, gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) systems are already improving efficiency by recovering exhaust heat to generate additional power, a technology MODEC has deployed on FPSO Bacalhau.

Digitalization is also playing a growing role. MODEC's Shape Aura platform uses AI and machine learning to optimize operations and improve energy efficiency, while Shape Lumen is being tested to automatically classify flare events using data from more than 450 sensors.

Looking ahead, Siqueira said MODEC is evaluating technologies such as post-combustion carbon capture and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) through pilot projects designed to validate their performance under offshore conditions.

"In the near term, the opportunity is not necessarily to retrofit every available technology onto an existing FPSO," he said. "It is to understand each asset, use operational data to identify where the greatest gains are, and implement solutions that can deliver a positive impact over the asset's remaining operating life."

Designing and delivering the next generation of FPSOs

While digitalization and decarbonization are helping improve FPSO performance, delivering increasingly complex projects remains an industry challenge. Soichi Ide, MODEC's head of Floating Production Solutions, said the industry's focus is shifting toward adaptability, execution flexibility and life-cycle performance.

He believes the future of FPSOs is less about building bigger facilities and more about building smarter, more adaptable projects that can be delivered efficiently and operated successfully over decades.

"By the 2030s, I think the defining characteristic won't be size, it'll be adaptability," Ide said.

He also emphasized early engagement, life-cycle thinking and the integration of operational experience into both FPSO design and project execution.

Early planning is the best defense against project-delivery risks, according to Ide. While engineering resources, shipyard capacity and supply chain constraints remain challenges, he continued, early engagement before FID allows developers to identify bottlenecks and structure projects around them.

"What matters more than any single constraint is how early we're able to plan around it," Ide said.

Execution flexibility is also becoming increasingly important. MODEC uses approaches such as parallel hull construction at multiple shipyards, digital engineering tools and strategic supplier partnerships to reduce schedule risk and improve project delivery. 

"Delivery resilience comes from early planning, execution flexibility, and the ability to carry knowledge and data from EPC into operations," he said.

Ide added that life-cycle thinking is reshaping FPSO design.

"We need to design to operate, not just design to build," he added.

Rather than designing solely for construction and startup, MODEC is designing assets with 20-plus years of operations in mind, incorporating considerations such as operability, reliability, maintenance and emissions performance from the outset.