Techouse Tests Offshore Steam Generator Designed to Cut CO₂ Emissions by 25%
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Engineering company Techouse has successfully completed testing on a novel compact once-through steam generator (COTSG). The technology is designed to facilitate the use of combined-cycle power generation on offshore oil and gas platforms, offering a potential reduction in fuel use and CO₂ emissions of up to 25%.
Developed as part of a joint industry project, the initiative received backing from energy majors TotalEnergies and Equinor, alongside SINTEF Energy Research, with funding support from the Research Council of Norway. The full-scale trials took place at the Sustainable Energy catapult center in Stord, Norway.
The COTSG serves as a vital element in offshore combined-cycle systems by capturing waste heat from gas turbine exhaust to produce superheated steam. This steam is then utilized by a steam turbine to generate extra electricity, boosting the facility’s overall energy efficiency.
Techouse notes that prior research indicates offshore combined-cycle plants can lower CO₂ emissions by 22% to 25% compared to standard gas turbines. For a typical offshore platform, this translates to an annual reduction of 50,000 to 150,000 tonnes of CO₂.
While traditional heat-recovery systems are often too heavy and bulky for space-constrained offshore decks, Techouse engineered the COTSG to be significantly lighter and more compact to overcome these physical limitations.
“The goal of this joint industry project was to engineer and validate an OTSG that minimizes weight and footprint, making combined-cycle technology viable for a broader range of offshore assets,” explained Pål Kloster, Chief Technology Officer at Techouse.
During the validation phase, the full-scale prototype was subjected to rigorous performance, vibration, and thermal fatigue testing. This included cyclic load testing to ensure the equipment can reliably achieve its projected 30-year operational lifespan.
“The trials yielded highly encouraging results across all primary criteria, and our team is now conducting a detailed review of the operational data,” Kloster added.
Techouse targets a commercial rollout of the COTSG in late 2026. Moving forward, the company also plans to investigate how the system can be combined with offshore carbon capture technologies.
