Hanwha Ocean received global classification certification for its standard floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) design framework applying low-carbon technologies. The company plans to use the certified design and execution frameworks across FPSO projects, including client consultations, bidding and front-end engineering design (FEED).
Hanwha Ocean said on the 25th that it obtained approval in principle (AIP) from Norway's classification society DNV for its "low-carbon standard FPSO" design framework. It also received AIP from the American classification society ABS and secured a certificate for its Project Sustainability Execution Plan (PSEP).
An FPSO is a floating offshore plant that refines and stores crude oil or gas lifted from the seabed and then offloads it to a shuttle tanker. Through this certification, Hanwha Ocean was verified for a low-carbon design framework that reflects low-carbon technologies in FPSO design and for an execution framework to implement and manage them in actual projects.
Hanwha Ocean is systematizing applicable low-carbon technologies based on its existing standard FPSO design and building a platform that allows selection and application of necessary technologies according to each client's project requirements. Whereas in the past low-carbon technologies were reviewed and applied separately for each project, going forward the plan is to standardize verified technologies and use them repeatedly across multiple projects.
In this certification, DNV verified a low-carbon design framework that incorporates reduction technologies for each major greenhouse gas emission source into FPSO design. ABS confirmed an execution framework to manage and implement sustainability goals such as carbon reduction and energy efficiency improvements during project execution.
Hanwha Ocean has continued to expand standardization of FPSO design. In 2024, it developed a standard FPSO applicable to West Africa and obtained certification from ABS and the French classification society BV. This year, it developed a standard FPSO tailored to South America and secured certification from ABS and DNV. The company said that as global energy corporations have strengthened carbon reduction requirements in new FPSO orders, low-carbon design and sustainability management frameworks are becoming key evaluation factors.
Hanwha Ocean plans to further develop the verified low-carbon technologies into reusable technology packages and apply them to meet project-specific needs. It will also use PSEP as a standard sustainability execution basis for future FPSO projects.
A Hanwha Ocean official said, "This certification is meaningful in that both pillars—low-carbon design and a sustainability execution framework—were verified," adding, "We plan to develop these verification results into a low-carbon technology package and a sustainability execution framework that can be repeatedly used in future projects to strengthen our order-winning competitiveness and project execution capabilities."