EPCG’s solution is built on technologies that have been proven for decades in offshore oil and gas and onshore methanol production.
- Floating production is mature:
~200 FPSOs and 8 FLNG units operate in 30 countries, with 30+ more ordered or under construction. The first FPSOs entered service in the 1970s.
- Methanol production is mature:
More than 90 world‑scale methanol plants operate globally with ~110 Mtpa combined capacity. The first commercial methanol plant was built in 1923.
- CO₂ injection and storage are mature:
CO₂‑based Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) has been used since the early 1970s, providing decades of operational experience in CO₂ handling, injection, and long‑term storage.
Risk
EPCG’s approach combines proven technologies that have already been developed, scaled, and operated at industrial levels. This avoids the challenges and scale‑up risks associated with novel or untested solutions.
Execution Capability
EPCG senior management has extensive experience in the design, construction, global deployment, and operation of FPSOs and FLNG units. Several are technical authorities; collectively, their experience spans ~20% of all floating production units worldwide, from concept through to operation of large and mega‑scale projects.
People
The team is uniquely qualified to deliver multiple floating methanol units globally, drawing on decades of experience in offshore and onshore oil, gas, and LNG project execution, and large‑scale energy infrastructure.
Permitting
Offshore permitting aligns with long‑established FPSO and FLNG frameworks, providing a more predictable pathway than the land‑use and other processes required for greenfield onshore developments.
Floating Production Architecture
EPC Global’s floating units will be world‑scale methanol production facilities integrating natural gas reforming, full carbon capture, permanent geological storage, and methanol synthesis.
Generic units built in South Korea use modular, replicable topside construction to ensure consistent quality and cost‑efficient, rapid delivery. Modularised fabrication is significantly less costly than onshore green or brownfield construction, and Korean construction is typically considerably lower cost than equivalent fabrication in the US or Europe. Multiple similar units can be delivered on predictable schedules without the long lead times associated with bespoke onshore or offshore plants.
Operational Resilience
Units are designed to be VLCC‑scale, self‑propelled, and fully disconnectable, enabling relocation in the event of cyclones, political developments, commercial changes, or reservoir considerations.
Planned Configurations
- 3.6 Mtpa (two‑train) – for large fields, high flowrates
- 1.8 Mtpa (single‑train) – for smaller fields or expected relocations
Low‑Carbon Fuel (LCF) Pathway Description
- Feedstock: offshore natural gas
- Natural gas pretreatment
- Autothermal reforming (ATR) with CCS
- Methanol synthesis
- CO₂ capture, dehydration, compression, and injection
- OCCS/IND CO₂ integration for offsetting end‑of‑life emissions
- Utilities, power generation, storage, offloading, and marine systems
- Methanol and CO₂ transported via CCS‑equipped shuttle tankers
- No double crediting across regulatory frameworks
Autothermal Reforming & Low‑Carbon Hydrogen
ATR converts natural gas into hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a high‑efficiency, oxygen‑assisted process designed for:
- High hydrogen yield
- Stable syngas composition
- Efficient heat integration
- Full capture of process CO₂
Hydrogen is produced in situ via reforming as part of an integrated synthesis gas process and is consumed directly in methanol synthesis; physical separation or handling of hydrogen as a standalone intermediate is not required for low carbon fuel compliance.
Reforming releases carbon upfront, enabling permanent geological sequestration and the integration of additional CO₂ from shipping (OCCS) or industry (IND CO₂).
Regulatory Compliance Note
All CO₂ injection associated with EPCG projects is designed, permitted, and accounted for as permanent geological storage. Lifecycle emissions crediting is based solely on verified stored CO₂ volumes and is independent of any incidental reservoir pressure effects or production outcomes.
Offshore Gas Supply & CO₂ Injection and Permanent Geological Storage
Captured CO₂ is dehydrated, compressed, and injected into the producing reservoir, providing long‑term sequestration, with any reservoir pressure effects occurring incidentally and not forming part of lifecycle emissions accounting.
CO₂‑EGR:
- Increases ultimate gas recovery
- Improves reservoir pressure support
- Extends field life and preserves deliverability
- Reduces the need for new developments
- Aligns secure feedstock with durable CO₂ storage
- Can form a barrier against water influx
Returning a similar amount of CO₂ as the gas used for feedstock means that, at end of field life, the reservoir is broadly in the same state as when production began – with hydrogen effectively removed.
OCCS & IND CO₂ Integration
EPCG’s logistics system enables the return of captured CO₂ from ships (OCCS) or industrial sources (IND CO₂) via shuttle tankers. This CO₂ is permanently stored in the reservoir, enabling:
- Offsetting of end‑of‑life combustion emissions
- Deeper lifecycle reductions
- A closed‑loop carbon cycle for shipping and industry
This capability is unique to pathways that release carbon upfront and have access to permanent geological storage.
Shuttle Tanker & FSU Logistics Loop
Methanol is offloaded to a Floating Storage Unit (FSU) near a bunker port. Shuttle tankers deliver methanol and return with CO₂ for storage. This loop:
- Minimises transport emissions
- Avoids onshore bottlenecks
- Supports global distribution
- Enables OCCS integration at scale
Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV)
EPCG’s MRV system provides full lifecycle transparency through:
- Continuous mass‑flow monitoring
- Reservoir integrity surveillance
- Auditable chain‑of‑custody
- Sequestration certificates
- Third‑party verification
This ensures traceability and supports compliance with global lifecycle accounting frameworks and is submitted to, and reviewed and approved by, the national statutory Regulator
A Deep Decarbonisation Pathway That Fossil Fuels Cannot Replicate
The EU Delegated Regulation of 8 July 2025 certifies low‑carbon fuels based on lifecycle greenhouse‑gas performance. In practice, only reforming‑based pathways that separate hydrogen and release capture‑ready CO₂ during fuel production can achieve the required levels of decarbonisation envisaged under the framework.
It is a decarbonisation pathway LNG, and other fossil fuels cannot practically access, as their production may remove incidental CO₂ but does not separate hydrogen or therefore create a low‑carbon fuel.
LNG liquefaction does not release carbon upfront and therefore cannot capture or store its own emissions, nor integrate OCCS or IND CO₂, and cannot access this deep decarbonisation pathway.