- China achieves a historic milestone by converting a VLCC into an FPSO vessel in a record-breaking 27 months.
- The FPSO, named Maria Quiteria, boasts impressive capabilities and is set to operate off Brazil’s southeastern coast.
- This achievement highlights China’s growing prowess in maritime engineering and technological innovation.
China has set a new world record by successfully converting a very large crude carrier (VLCC) into a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel within an astonishing 27 months. The historic achievement was commemorated during a ceremony at a shipyard owned by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Shanghai) on Changxing Island.
The renovated vessel, named Maria Quiteria, stands as a testament to China’s remarkable engineering capabilities and technological advancement in the maritime industry. Measuring 333.3 meters in length, 58 meters in breadth, and 31.25 meters in depth, the FPSO Maria Quiteria is poised to revolutionize offshore oil production operations.
Deployment and Operational Features
The FPSO Maria Quiteria is scheduled to be deployed at an oil field off Brazil’s southeastern coast, where it will commence operations in September. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the vessel has a storage capacity of up to 1 million barrels of oil and a daily production capacity of 100,000 barrels.
One of the most notable features of the FPSO Maria Quiteria is its exhaust gas waste recovery technology, designed to reduce carbon emissions while meeting the power requirements of offshore operations. Dong Guoyun, the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry project manager, estimates that the vessel’s use of this innovative equipment will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an impressive 120,000 tons annually.
Achieving Excellence in Maritime Engineering
The groundbreaking project marks COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s first full-chain FPSO upgrade and sets a new benchmark for efficiency and innovation in the maritime sector. Completed six months ahead of schedule, the successful conversion of the VLCC into an FPSO vessel underscores China’s commitment to technological advancement and maritime excellence.
Pan Yu, the deputy general manager of COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry (Shanghai), emphasized the significance of this achievement for both the company and Changxing Island. As a national-level marine economic development demonstration zone, Changxing Island aims to establish itself as a global leader in marine equipment manufacturing.
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Source: Marine Insight
