MODEC and Eld Energy advance fuel cell/CO2 capture development for FPSOs

MODEC and fuel cell system specialist Eld Energy have signed an agreement to co-develop an integrated 120-kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and CO₂ capture system for installation onboard FPSOs.

Terms of the agreement cover design and manufacturing of a prototype for a low-carbon offshore power solution. The partners aim to perform onshore operational testing by 2027, followed by an offshore demonstration from 2028 onward.

Since 2025, they have jointly advanced design and construction of a pilot scale 40-kW SOFC offshore power system that uses associated natural gas from FPSO production.

MODEC claims the technology provides the potential for greater efficiency and lower emissions than conventional offshore power sources such as gas turbine generators.

Under this latest agreement, the SOFC output will be scaled from 40 kW to 120 kW, and the integrated CO₂ capture and fuel recovery unit will be optimized for the SOFC exhaust.